Xu Yitong was startled by her own absurd thought. 

She involuntarily took a step back. 

Damn… she thought.

Even though he looks really easy to bully when he’s drunk, forcibly kissing him in front of a restaurant would definitely make the news tomorrow.

If I’m going to kiss him, I should at least lure him to a secluded place first.

Wait—no, that’s not right. We’re not even close. Why am I thinking about such weird things?

And if we were to kiss, Yu Ge is so much taller than me.

I’d have to tiptoe and wrap my arms around his neck to make it less strenuous…

No—

Xu Yitong forced herself to cut off this wicked thought. 

A little voice in her head screamed while crouching in a corner. 

Help, Xu Yitong, you’ve truly lost your mind… 

A diner lifted the door curtain and walked out, the cool air from inside making Xu Yitong shiver.

She slowly moved aside, and when her gaze refocused, Yu Ge was no longer in front of her. 

She turned her head. 

Under a tree by the roadside, Yu Ge leaned against the trunk, slightly bent over. 

Xu Yitong’s romantic fantasies vanished instantly.

She rushed over immediately. 

Yu Ge’s head hung low, his lips pressed tightly together as he suppressed the churning in his stomach.

Fine beads of sweat dotted his forehead, his face as pale as paper. 

“Are you okay? Do you feel like throwing up?” Her voice was laced with urgency. 

In his dazed state, Yu Ge lifted his eyelids and saw her face again. 

Noticing his unsteadiness, Xu Yitong didn’t hesitate to reach out and support him, babbling quickly, “If you want to throw up, just do it. You’ll feel better afterward. Oh, are you feeling sick to your stomach? Let’s buy some yogurt. That should help.” 

Her arm pressed against his waist, her body half-leaning into him.

The thin fabric of her short sleeves did little to block her body heat.

Yu Ge tried to pull away, but she stubbornly clung to him. 

He was backed against the tree trunk by her. 

The heat from the alcohol inside him mixed with her proximity, leaving him with an inexplicable sense of irritation. 

His fingers, hanging at his sides, clenched into fists, his mind buzzing. 

Yu Ge took a shallow breath, pausing for a moment to steady himself.

“Let go. Don’t touch me.” 

“Ah…” Xu Yitong tilted her head slightly to look at him, hesitating. 

“Let go.” 

His gaze was heavy, his voice even hoarser than before. 

“Okay, okay. Then… then stand steady.”

Xu Yitong took two steps back. 

The annoying source of heat retreated.

Yu Ge closed his eyes briefly, regulating his uneven breathing. 

“Feeling better?” she asked in a tiny voice. 

No response. 

She tentatively called out, “Yu Ge, are you okay?” 

After a long moment, he slowly glanced at her. 

Amidst the chaotic commotion, a strand of her hair had fallen to the side of her face, sticking to her lips.

She seemed worried about him, her eyelashes fluttering, her expression hesitant yet hopeful. 

Her eyes were a light brown, glistening and bright. 

Yu Ge suddenly thought of the little black dog his grandmother had adopted.

Every time he returned to the countryside, it would wag its tail and circle around his feet, refusing to leave no matter how much he shooed it away. 

Two or three minutes passed.

His ears were still ringing, but his mind had mostly cleared.

“I’m fine.” 

“That’s good.”

Xu Yitong patted her chest.

“You looked awful just now!” 

Seeing Yu Ge straighten up slowly, Xu Yitong wanted to step forward to support him but feared his scolding.

Her outstretched hand hovered mid-air.

“Take it easy.” 

Xu Yitong anxiously glanced toward the restaurant. 

Why haven’t Yi Yi and the others finished eating yet? 

She wondered if she should go in and grab someone to help take care of Yu Ge when she noticed a young couple to her right. 

The guy was tall, hands in his pockets, slouching against the wall as he whispered and joked with the girl, occasionally nuzzling her shoulder. 

Xu Yitong gasped. 

A hundred thoughts raced through her mind.

She turned and grabbed Yu Ge, who was about to leave.

“Wait a second!” 

Before Yu Ge could react, his eyes were suddenly covered by a pair of hands. 

The light was completely blocked. 

Her palms were cool and soft, trembling slightly.

Yu Ge caught a faint whiff of mint from her wrists, dissipating as soon as it reached his nose. 

Yu Ge froze.

“What are you doing?” 

Xu Yitong panicked and blurted out the first excuse that came to mind.

“There’s a naked homeless guy over there. Don’t look.” 

Her brain worked overtime. 

Why the hell is Chen Yuzheng here?

Oh my god, oh my god.

Yu Ge doesn’t know he’s dating Yu Nuo yet, does he?

That’s Yu Ge’s most precious little sister!

If he finds out, Chen Yuzheng is dead meat! 

After a moment of silence, Yu Ge raised his hand. 

When his fingers wrapped around her wrist, both of them froze. 

Yu Ge paused, then exerted a little force to pull her hand away. 

Xu Yitong suddenly realized what she’d done.

Before she could process it, a familiar voice called out from behind her: “Xu Yitong?!” 

Both of them turned toward the source. 

A few meters away, Chen Yuzheng stopped in his tracks, his tone mocking.

“Well, well, if it isn’t you.” 

Yu Nuo also stepped forward, surprised.

“Brother? What are you doing here?” 

Yu Ge released Xu Yitong’s hand. 

Witnessing this scene, Chen Yuzheng quipped sarcastically, “Since when did Fish become my brother-in-law?” 

Xu Yitong forced a smile and met his gaze. 

This bastard. 

Before Yu Ge could respond, Chen Yuzheng took the initiative: “Also, Fish, why are you with my sister?” 

“……” 

Xu Yitong’s temple throbbed. 

How does someone like Chen Yuzheng exist in this world?

Someone with such thick skin, such audacity, and the ability to twist the truth so effortlessly?

It’s truly astounding. 

Yu Ge gave Chen Yuzheng a cold look, ignoring his provocation, and said to the dazed Yu Nuo, “Come here.” 

…… 

“I’ve known since we were kids—you’re a heartless, ungrateful wretch, Chen Yuzheng.” 

Xu Yitong wore a sweet smile while secretly pinching him hard. 

Chen Yuzheng hissed. “Trying to kill me with that grip?” 

“I was helping you cover, and this is how you repay me?” She kicked him. 

Chen Yuzheng smirked.

“You’ve got some nerve, going after Fish.As expected of my sister!

” 

Xu Yitong shot back, “Nowhere near as bold as you, dating his little sister right under his nose. Must be thrilling, huh?” 

Chen Yuzheng reflexively covered her mouth, warning, “Keep your voice down!” 

Xu Yitong mumbled incoherently as they wrestled, “Get your dirty hands off my face… Scram!” 

The siblings bickered relentlessly. 

Yu Nuo’s gaze kept drifting toward them, watching for a long while before snapping back to reality—her brother was still beside her. 

She glanced guiltily at Yu Ge. 

Fortunately, he was also looking in their direction. 

“Brother,” she called softly. 

Yu Ge snapped out of it, frowning. 

“Haven’t I told you? Stay away from people with screws loose.” 

“…We just happened to run into each other while shopping,” Yu Nuo defended in a small voice. 

“Chen Yuzheng is actually… a good person.” 

Before he could reply, Yu Nuo quickly changed the subject: “By the way, why did you drink?” 

Yu Ge replied indifferently, “Only a little. It’s fine.” 

“You were eating here too? Why are you with Tongtong Jie?” 

Yu Ge ignored the question. 

“What were you buying?” 

“Some people wanted soy milk, but the hot pot place didn’t have any, so we were going to the supermarket nearby.” 

“Let’s go.” 

The supermarket was 200 meters away. 

Yu Nuo quickly picked out a few bottles of drinks, arms full. 

Yu Ge opened the fridge, grabbed a yogurt, and paid for everything at the counter. 

After shopping, the siblings stepped outside. 

Yu Ge leaned over slightly, taking the bags from Yu Nuo. 

“Have they called you recently?” 

Yu Nuo lowered her head. 

“Dad called a couple of days ago…” 

“Block him.” 

Yu Nuo sighed, turning to face him. 

“If I do, they’ll definitely come looking for you.” 

“Block them,” Yu Ge repeated. 

As they walked back toward the hot pot restaurant, Yu Nuo spotted the others from afar. 

Xu Yitong sat on a red plastic chair meant for waiting customers, looking miserable as she scratched her legs—likely bitten by mosquitoes. 

Chen Yuzheng stood beside her, lazily holding his phone, the screen shoved in her face as if showing her something. 

She impatiently swatted his hand away. 

Amid the bustling night market, Xu Yitong sat in the brightest spot, making her impossible for Yu Ge to miss. 

For some reason, his stomach churned again, the faint mint scent lingering in his nostrils. 

Yu Ge stopped walking, twisted open the yogurt lid, and took a couple of slow sips, trying to suppress the strange sensation. 

…… 

It’s all Chen Yuzheng’s fault, that annoying bastard. 

On the taxi ride home, Xu Yitong slumped in her seat, dejected. 

It had been such a wonderful day. 

She’d finally spent a harmonious evening with Yu Ge, only for Chen Yuzheng to appear out of nowhere and ruin everything. 

By the time the dinner ended, Yu Ge hadn’t spoken another word to her. 

He hadn’t even glanced her way. 

Xu Yitong mournfully flipped open her notebook. 

Seeing the pencil sketch inside lifted her spirits slightly. 

She held it up, examining it from every angle under the passing streetlights. 

Running her thumb gently over the name he’d written, Xu Yitong had an idea. She pulled out a pen from her bag. 

Balancing the notebook on her lap, she carefully imitated his handwriting, adding beneath SpongeBob’s name: Zhenzhen.

* 

As summer arrived, Xu Yitong’s appetite waned. 

She survived on small wontons and congee, barely leaving the house to avoid the heat. 

After holing up at home for half a month, she received a call from CC one evening. 

Xu Yitong answered weakly, “Hello?” 

“How’s the designer we hired coming along?” 

Xu Yitong perked up slightly. 

“We met a couple of days ago. Her studio is partnering with a renovation company for a semi-custom job. I’ll go with her to check the site and take measurements. The design drafts should be ready by the end of the month, then the construction team can start. It’ll probably take about three months to finish.” 

“Good. I’ve got a lot on my plate lately, so keep an eye on the renovation.” 

CC double-checked, “You can handle this, right?” 

Xu Yitong snorted. “Who do you take me for?” 

After wrapping up business, CC asked, “Coming out tonight? Cai Cai went on a business trip to Hangzhou and met a bunch of male influencers. Damn, we had drinks last night, and I’m still reeling.”  

Xu Yitong wasn’t interested. 

“I’ll pass. Have fun without me.”  

“What have you been up to lately? You never come out. Turning into a hermit?”  

Xu Yitong sighed, staring at her computer. 

“Leave me alone.”  

Hanging up, she tossed her phone aside, crossed her legs on the chair, and let out a long sigh.  

God, how is League of Legends this hard?

Faced with a screen full of losses, she resignedly picked up her phone and messaged the customer service of the paid gaming companion service Yi Yi had recommended.  

Yi Yi had said this was one of the most reputable services in the industry, with connections even in the LPL. 

Many high-ranked players and streamers were affiliated with them. 

For the right price, they could even book well-known streamers.  

Xu Yitong had tried a few before, but the moment the guys joined voice chat, they’d start with the big sister and breathy voices, sounding as cringey as Chen Yuzheng at his worst. 

She couldn’t take it and disbanded the group.  

She tapped the customer service: 【You there?】  

-Yaw Gaming Companion Service, Customer Rep Yueyue: 【Hello, boss! What can I do for you~】  

-Zhenzhen: 【Who’s available for gaming companionship right now?】  

-Yaw Gaming Companion Service, Customer Rep Yueyue: 【Lots! Depends on what you need. Flex queue, ranked duo, ARAM—we’ve got people for all modes. What’s your budget?】  

A price list followed:  

– Master tier: 60/h  

– Grandmaster: 80/h  

– Challenger: 100/h  

– High Challenger: 150/h  

– Streamers/former rank 1/pro players: 300+  

-Zhenzhen: 【You can even book pro players?】  

-Yaw Gaming Companion Service, Customer Rep Yueyue: 【Yes! Which role?】  

Xu Yitong’s spirits lifted instantly: 【Bot lane. ADC.】  

-Yaw Gaming Companion Service, Customer Rep Yueyue: 【Hold on, let me check.】  

A few minutes later: 【A former secondary team player is available. Would that work?】  

Though she knew it was a long shot, Xu Yitong couldn’t resist asking: 【What about someone from OG? Like… Fish?】  

She added: 【Money isn’t an issue!】  

After three minutes of silence, the customer rep sent a thunderstruck emoji: 【Sorry, boss. Active LPL players generally don’t do gaming companionship, especially not someone like Fish (crying). We can’t help with that~】  

……  

Xu Yitong gave up.  

A whole afternoon of intense League had drained her. 

Too tired for another game, she switched to discussing renovation styles with the designer on WeChat.  

While idly browsing Meituan for bubble tea, her computer pinged.  

Xu Yitong looked up.  

Someone had invited her to a party in the game client.  

She’d just created the account, so her friend list was short. The ID “Milk” belonged to Yi Yi.  

She clicked accept.  

Only two people in the lobby.  

Milk: 【Playing solo?】  

Xu Yitong typed: 【Just bored, messing around.】  

Milk: 【Can you voice chat?】  

Xu Yitong dug out an old headset and plugged it in. 

“Can you hear me?”  

Yi Yi: “Your voice is kinda quiet.”  

The audio was patchy, with static. 

“This headset might be broken. I’ll buy a new one later.”  

Yi Yi: “No worries, I’ll turn you up.”  

They queued for a normal game, Yi Yi laning with her bot.  

While waiting, Yi Yi casually mentioned, “Yueyue just told me you were playing alone.”  

Xu Yitong: “The customer rep from the gaming companion service?”

“Yeah, we’ve known each other for years. She helped me get one of my accounts to Challenger.” 

Xu Yitong nodded. 

“If you have a boyfriend like Roy, why bother with paid companionship?” 

“He’s too busy with competitions to play with me much.” 

Yi Yi laughed. 

“Yueyue asked if you were trying to climb ranks and immediately requested Fish. That’s bold.” 

“Huh?” 

Xu Yitong was embarrassed. 

“Was that too unrealistic?” 

“No, no.” 

Yi Yi explained. 

“Don’t worry. Their shop has seen it all—plenty of rich fans ask for Fish or even his contact info. You’re nothing special. They just noticed you stopped playing after a few games with low-ranked duo partners, so they thought you weren’t satisfied and wanted to match you with someone stronger.” 

“It’s not that. I just got tired after a while.”  

As they chatted, the game started. 

Yi Yi picked Seraphine, telling Xu Yitong to play Yuumi and attach to her bot. 

Seraphine was technically a support, but could also work as an ADC this patch. 

A teammate pinged a question mark during champ select but didn’t comment further. 

Early in the laning phase, Yi Yi patiently explained, “You’ve played Honor of Kings, right? Yuumi’s like Yao —just heal while attached.” 

“Got it.” 

“But in this game, unless it’s someone carrying their girlfriend, most ADCs hate Yuumi because people never detach. If you want to play better, you can hop off to help last-hit when the ADC is farming. In fights, try to auto-attack the enemy to stack your passive. That way, when you reattach, you’ll shield your ADC.” 

With her faulty headset, Xu Yitong only half-understood, retaining just the tip: Don’t stay attached all game.

The first half of the match was lighthearted, with Yi Yi teaching her item builds and warding. 

But by mid-game, the enemy bot lane had killed them repeatedly, and their jungler treated them as free gold, ganking nonstop. 

The kill feed was a constant stream of deaths. 

Their teammates finally lost patience, pinging them relentlessly before unanimously voting to surrender. 

Post-game, silence hung between them. 

Xu Yitong: “Wanna play again?” 

Yi Yi: “Do you?” 

“I’m fine either way.” 

Xu Yitong sighed. 

“But I’m so bad. Maybe I should just play solo so I don’t drag you into more flame wars.” 

“It’s not your fault.” 

Xu Yitong suggested, “I could hire a few gaming companions? That way, we won’t ruin random teammates’ games.” 

“Nah, no need to waste money on norms.” 

Yi Yi paused. 

“Hold on, let me call someone.” 

…… 

Ten minutes later, a player named Ruo Yiyi joined the lobby. 

“Who’s this?” Xu Yitong asked. 

Yi Yi: “My boyfriend.” 

Soon, Roy joined voice chat. 

Yi Yi vented about their last game. 

Roy listened, then asked, “Why’s your friend so quiet? Tilted?” 

Xu Yitong explained, “No, my mic’s staticy.” 

Roy found her voice familiar. 

“Hey, weren’t you the girl at the hot pot place?” 

“Yeah, that was me.” 

“Haha, so you’re trying League now.”

 Roy chuckled. 

“Don’t stress. I’ll carry you guys.” 

Yi Yi picked Malphite top, leaving support for Xu Yitong, who stuck with Yuumi bot with Roy. 

Pro players were on another level. 

Even though bot wasn’t Roy’s main role, he dominated effortlessly. 

Yi Yi’s account had a high MMR, so their normals were against skilled players. 

Yet Roy carried Xu Yitong’s clueless Yuumi without breaking a sweat. 

After two easy wins, Xu Yitong grew bored of being carried. 

They queued again. 

During champ select, Xu Yitong listened to Yi Yi and Roy’s sweet banter, unable to contribute. 

Playing support felt like intruding on their duo. 

A teammate typed: 【smh, another SM win-trading premade.】 

Roy was puzzled. 

“We only won a few games. How did we get matched against a high-win-rate team?”

“Your account’s MMR is too high.” 

Yi Yi didn’t seem bothered. 

“Hmm… What should I play? Samira? Tristana? Nah, Jinx.” 

After locking in, Roy suddenly groaned. 

“Ugh, my stomach hurts.” 

Xu Yitong, eager to quit, said, “Want to dodge?” 

“Nah, let’s finish this. I can tough it out.” 

Minutes later, the game loaded. 

Xu Yitong bought starting items as taught. 

Roy hissed. 

“I can’t hold it. Go to the lane first. I need the bathroom.” 

A clatter followed as Roy’s voice faded. 

“Fish, quick! Cover for me. I’ll be right back!” 

The name made Xu Yitong’s breath hitch. 

She halted near the second turret, cranking Yi Yi’s volume to max. 

Half a minute later, the idle Jinx in the fountain moved. 

Xu Yitong slammed her desk excitedly. 

Testing the waters, she greeted, “Hi! It’s Xu Yitong.” 

No response. 

She maxed her own mic volume, staring at Jinx. 

“Hi! I’m Xu Yitong.” 

Finally, Yi Yi’s mic light flickered. 

A familiar low voice: “I know.” 

…… 

Sudden euphoria overwhelmed Xu Yitong. 

She took deep breaths, trying to calm her racing heart. 

So distracted, she didn’t notice Jinx stopping beside her. 

Yu Ge waited. 

The cat remained still. 

“Get on,” he ordered. 

Misunderstanding, Xu Yitong charged at the enemy bot lane. 

Yu Ge was stunned. 

The enemy ADC froze. 

First blood notification popped up. 

The defenseless cat was swiftly sent back to the fountain. 

Yu Ge’s eyes twitched. 

“What are you doing?” 

Realizing her mistake, Xu Yitong guiltily returned to lane. 

Recalling Yi Yi’s tips, she whispered, “Didn’t you tell me to go in?” 

Jinx farmed alone. 

Noticing her idling near the minions, he pinged at her feet. 

Static crackled as Yu Ge’s voice came through, deadpan: 

—“I told you to get on me.”