The Gala Begins

The career lines of the three male leads were all accelerating.

Besides Lu Bairan’s rise to fame, Duan Heng’s popularity on various platforms also unexpectedly soared.

After all, Duan Heng was the male lead of an e-sports novel, boasting not only top-notch gaming skills but also looks that rivaled entertainment industry stars.

Of course, Duan Heng’s rise was partly thanks to Nan Pei.

Due to insufficient luck, Duan Heng’s popularity didn’t initially grow quickly. Nan Pei took some particularly stunning photos of him during matches and practice, and had them professionally edited.

Once these photos were posted on TKT’s official team account, they caught a lot of attention.

Among the e-sports players, Duan Heng’s looks stood out, and at first glance, people thought they were stills from an e-sports idol drama. Many onlookers shared and commented.

Soon, people realized that not only was Duan Heng handsome, but he was also the captain of TKT, and his performance in matches was outstanding.

This drew attention not only from those who liked his looks but also from those in the e-sports community who noticed his skills.

Seizing the opportunity, Nan Pei helped all TKT members open personal Weibo accounts, which they could log into themselves, with professional help for management.

Within just one day, Duan Heng’s account gained over 300,000 followers, and the number kept growing.

Fame didn’t affect Duan Heng; his goal remained to win the league championship.

TKT continued to excel in the qualifiers, winning four consecutive matches.

Today was the fifth match, with a record number of attendees, many of whom were Duan Heng’s fans.

This match was crucial; winning would greatly increase TKT’s chances of advancing.

On stage, Duan Heng searched the crowd for Nan Pei.

Among the fans holding banners, Duan Heng spotted Nan Pei, who surprisingly didn’t have a banner today.

Duan Heng was momentarily taken aback, a hint of disappointment flashing in his eyes, but he quickly hid it.

Nan Pei wore a stylish black suit today, different from his usual style, but still had his gold-rimmed glasses, exuding a refined and restrained aura.

He sat in the VIP section, legs crossed, smiling and clapping to cheer for Duan Heng.

After this match, Nan Pei had to attend a charity gala and didn’t have time to change, so he wore his high-end suit in advance.

Seeing Nan Pei cheering for him, Duan Heng comforted himself, thinking maybe there were just too many banners, so Nan Pei didn’t think it was necessary.

He didn’t dwell on it and focused entirely on the match.

In the original plot, this match didn’t last long, so Nan Pei thought he’d be able to leave by eight.

However, perhaps because TKT had been performing so strongly, the opponents seemed to have studied the team thoroughly, targeting Duan Heng from the B/P stage, banning several of his signature heroes, even the less popular “Cheetah.”

Nan Pei was startled, not expecting Duan Heng’s recent prominence to provoke such strong caution from the opponents.

But TKT wasn’t going to sit idly by and quickly adapted.

The match was intense from the start, with the kill count staying close, and it was unclear who would win until the very end.

As a result, the match time extended significantly.

Sitting in the audience, Nan Pei worried not only about the match outcome but also about being late for the charity gala, his palms sweating.

After three matches, the score was 2:1, meaning the match wouldn’t end before eight.

As it neared eight, Nan Pei glanced at his phone. Lu Bairan had sent him a message:

[I’m heading out now, see you at the gala.]

Nan Pei’s fingers tightened around his phone.

On stage, Duan Heng saw Nan Pei’s anxious expression, thinking he was worried about the match.

Taking a deep breath, Duan Heng resolved to perform well and not let Nan Pei worry.

In the fourth match, Duan Heng played with focus and calm, skillfully directing his teammates, quickly finding the opponent’s weak spot and securing the win.

The match was thrilling, with both sides going back and forth, and Duan Heng achieved a quadra kill, leading to a decisive victory.

The audience erupted in cheers and applause. While his teammates praised him, Duan Heng’s gaze instinctively searched for Nan Pei in the audience.

The next second, Duan Heng froze—

Nan Pei was gone.

He widened his eyes in surprise, waiting on stage, but Nan Pei didn’t come up.

Frowning, Duan Heng turned to Manager Ruan and asked:

“Where’s Nan Pei?”

Manager Ruan replied, “Ah, President Pei said he had something to do, so he left a few minutes ago. He said this match would definitely be a win and asked me to congratulate you all…”

“He left early?” Duan Heng said incredulously, “This match was so important, and he left early??” His voice was filled with disbelief—

He had worked so hard, and Nan Pei didn’t even watch?

Manager Ruan, sweating under Duan Heng’s gaze, quickly reassured him, “Xiao Duan, President Pei is a president with many responsibilities. He can’t just watch your matches…”

Duan Heng pressed his lips tightly, his jawline tense, fingers clenching.

He knew Manager Ruan made sense.

But Nan Pei leaving early still left him feeling frustrated.

Moreover, during the match, when Nan Pei pushed away his hug, these things bothered Duan Heng greatly.

“Where did he go?” Duan Heng suddenly looked at Manager Ruan and asked.

Manager Ruan was startled by Duan Heng’s cold tone and after a moment replied, “Ah, I think… I think he went to a charity gala…”

Duan Heng frowned, opened his phone, and messaged Nan Pei, but received no response.

He then opened a search engine to find information about the Lujin City charity gala.

Soon, the words “Shengxing Charity Gala” caught Duan Heng’s eye.

Duan Heng fell into thought.

Meanwhile.

Nan Pei had arrived at the gala venue, breathing a sigh of relief: “Thank goodness I’m not late.”

He had left the match venue in a hurry, thinking Duan Heng wouldn’t mind.

Soon, Lu Bairan also arrived at the gala.

As he appeared, many cameras turned towards him, flashes going off.

With the airing of “Love Meteor Shower,” he was gaining prominence, his popularity rising. Today, he wore a stunning high-end suit, looking elegant and handsome.

Lu Bairan spotted Nan Pei not far away, smiled, and said, “Sorry to keep you waiting.” His tone was gentle and magnetic.

Nan Pei, with a composed smile, entered with Lu Bairan.

They maintained a certain distance, yet didn’t seem distant.

Since Nan Pei wasn’t dressed like a nouveau riche today, no one questioned his presence on the red carpet. Some even speculated he was one of the invited celebrities.

Their outfits were similar in color but different enough, creating a harmonious look together.

Lu Bairan glanced at Nan Pei’s clothes, his smile growing more evident, making him appear even more gentle.

After the red carpet, Nan Pei and Lu Bairan entered the gala hall.

Lu Bairan looked at Nan Pei and said, “Your outfit today… looks great.”

He intended to say “you look great today,” but added a few words midway.

Without thinking, Nan Pei replied, “Expensive clothes do look great.” He gave a thumbs up, his nouveau riche vibe shining through despite the nice outfit.

Lu Bairan: “…”

Though speechless, seeing Nan Pei’s confident demeanor lifted his spirits.

Lu Bairan’s seat was in the celebrity area, and as his guest, Nan Pei sat beside him.

After sitting down, Lu Bairan seemed in good spirits and casually said to Nan Pei, “This seems to be our first time attending such an event together.”

Nan Pei’s phone vibrated several times, and as he discreetly took it out, he said to Lu Bairan, “There will be more events like this in the future. I’ll always be with you, Xiao Ran.”

Hearing this, a smile appeared in Lu Bairan’s long eyes. He quickly looked away, hiding the curve of his lips.

Meanwhile, Nan Pei took the chance to check his phone, seeing messages from Duan Heng—

[Why did you leave early?]

[Where are you now?]

Not daring to reply to Duan Heng in front of Lu Bairan, Nan Pei swallowed and put his phone away.

Before the gala officially began, Nan Pei found an opportunity to go to the restroom, hiding to reply to Duan Heng: “Xiao Duan, I was invited to a charity gala tonight, so I had to leave early. Sorry.”

After sending the message, Duan Heng didn’t reply.

Leaving the restroom, Nan Pei bumped into a tall, familiar figure at the door.

Looking up, Nan Pei’s eyes widened in shock—

How could it be him?!

With broad shoulders and a narrow waist, a gray high-end suit, and a handsome, assertive face…

“You…” Nan Pei opened his mouth, momentarily speechless.

How did he not know this charity gala had invited Song Jingchen!

Song Jingchen, dressed as well as any celebrity, looked at Nan Pei, surprise in his eyes:

“Nan Pei… you were invited too?”

In his mind, only particularly successful entrepreneurs received invitations. Although Nan Pei was the young master of the Nan family, he hadn’t achieved much in business.

Hearing this, Nan Pei’s heart skipped a beat.

He swallowed, his fingers tightening: “I…”

He didn’t know how to explain.

Should he say he came with Lu Bairan?

Opening his mouth, Nan Pei couldn’t find the words.

Seeing Nan Pei’s nervous and flustered expression, Song Jingchen’s brow suddenly furrowed.

Under his gaze, Nan Pei felt a wave of tension.

After a moment, Song Jingchen asked:

“Did you come alone?”

Nan Pei’s heart began to race, his palms sweating.

Instinctively, he wanted to tell Song Jingchen he came alone, hiding Lu Bairan’s presence.

But his rationality prevailed, knowing that wouldn’t work.

His seat was already arranged with Lu Bairan’s, and once the gala began, Song Jingchen would see them together.

Seeing Nan Pei silent, Song Jingchen lightly parted his lips: “Why aren’t you speaking?”

Nan Pei swallowed, slowly shaking his head:

“No… not alone.”

“Oh.” Song Jingchen replied indifferently.

An awkward silence fell between them.

He lifted his gaze to Nan Pei, slowly asking the next question:

“So, who did you come with?”

Author’s Note:

Many people said I was setting up a showdown, but actually, the real showdown hasn’t even started yet (dog head).