Ning Qiuxiu was taken aback by how much influence Zhan Qingyue had; it seemed that even the fearless Tang Yu was reduced to calling him… “Mom.”

Ugh, she definitely didn’t have a son with such a lack of dignity.

Ning Qiuxiu felt there had to be more to Tang Yu’s punishment than just being grounded for a month, given how thoroughly terrified he was of Zhan Qingyue.

There must be some unknown plot detail that made Tang Yu react like a mouse encountering a cat.

Regardless, Ning Qiuxiu met with their team members.

The players were all quite young and cute, with the oldest being just 20.

Surrounded by these “youngsters,” Ning Qiuqiu suddenly felt quite old.

The boys were all shy and blushed when asking for autographs and photos.

After chatting with them for a bit, one of the bespectacled players said, “Qiuxiu jie, remember to pick our team. We’re really strong!”

Seeing his hopeful eyes, Ning Qiuxiu couldn’t help but smile. “Why are you all so determined for me to choose your team? What if I end up being a jinx?”

The boys laughed, and one of them said, “Boss told us to say that.”

“Boss, Tang Yu?”

Just then, Tang Yu was called away and wasn’t in the room. Another boy said, “Yes, the boss said you were here to distribute bonuses.”

“……” Too honest. Ning Qiuxiu chuckled and said, “For your bonus, I’ll pick your team.”

“Thank you, Qiuxiu jie!” The boys were delighted with her promise.

After bidding them farewell, San Tiao sighed, “Youth is really something.”

Ning Qiuxiu linked arms with her, “San Tiao, you’re young too.”

“Thirty-three, with crow’s feet already.”

“Crow’s feet,” Ning Qiuxiu took a step closer to examine her face, “There’s none. It must be your mirror; smash it and buy a new one.”

San Tiao laughed, “That’s the most peculiar comfort I’ve ever received.”

At 7 PM, the exhibition match began.

Ning Qiuxiu was playing alongside another male star, Ming Xi, who also claimed to be a fan of “Kingdom Callers” and enjoyed playing games with friends in his free time.

Since the anniversary event was live-streamed across the internet, Ming Xi’s introduction stirred up the chat.

Besides Ming Xi’s fans cheering, Ning Qiuxiu’s fans were expressing their dissatisfaction.

【Wow, the official side is too much. With this setup, Ning Qiuxiu has no chance of winning.】

【Qiuxiu is going to cry. Chi Yu, come support her!】

【Ahhh, I want to see Qiuxiu and Chi Yu playing together. Officially, please fulfill my wish!】

【The official side promised a heavyweight mysterious guest; I hope it’s Zhan Qingyue!】

【Emmm, Ning Qiuxiu is going to lose badly now. Why can’t she just stick to being a star and not ride on the esports hype?】

【They’re hired by the official side. If you’re unhappy, take it up with them instead of complaining here.】

【I don’t understand why the official side invited someone who doesn’t even know how to play to an exhibition match. Is the show about the female star getting beaten in 100 different ways?】

【Electronic sports are inherently flawed. Ning Qiuxiu, get off the “Kingdom Callers” stage!】

…

The chat was filled with furious gamers hurling insults. Ning Qiuxiu’s fans tried to fight back, resulting in a chaotic scene of trolling and bashing.

The moderators had to step in and ban a wave of accounts to restore some order.

At this point, after Ming Xi finished her self-introduction, the microphone was passed to Ning Qiuxiu.

She smiled and said, “Hello everyone, I’m Ning Qiuxiu. Actually, it’s a bit unfortunate. Since I’m also a spokesperson for this game and have played a bit, I’m not a complete novice. Although I can’t claim to be on Ming Xi’s level, I won’t be outshone. I’ll do my best to make this exhibition match exciting.”

“Wow!”

The audience erupted in excitement. In the past, the celebrities who participated were all beginners, but now two of them actually knew how to play.

This was going to be interesting.

The host, already aware of the script, still feigned surprise and said, “It looks like today’s exhibition match is going to be very exciting. Now, let’s have the two guests choose the teams they want to play with.”

They played rock-paper-scissors to decide who would get the first pick. Ning Qiuxiu won with scissors against Ming Xi’s paper and chose Tang Yu’s team, SK, as planned.

Ming Xi chose the very strong MJ team.

The SK team and MJ team had a roughly 30-70 win rate in their matches, and Ning Qiuxiu chose the weaker SK team, which immediately made everyone laugh.

Typical of a female celebrity, clueless about the situation, just messing around.

So, her so-called skill was probably just at the gold rank.

Ning Qiuxiu knew her chosen team wasn’t as strong as Ming Xi’s, but she was confident because the SK team’s playstyle was similar to hers and Zhan Qingyue’s. She had prepared well.

After selecting the teams, the host smiled and said, “Today, our official Weibo announced that there will be a mysterious guest appearing tonight. Now, let’s invite that mysterious guest to join us for the exhibition match.”

The audience below immediately buzzed with excitement. The official Weibo had hyped up this mysterious guest, and everyone was eager to find out who it was.

As the audience held their breath, the host announced, “Next, let’s welcome our mysterious guest, the God of Fish, Chi Yu!”

At the same time, the spotlight focused on Zhan Qingyue, who was seated in the VIP area. His handsome face appeared on the big screen on stage.

Yes, it was the Chi Yu they knew.

The crowd: What the heck!!!

Bullet screen: What the heck???

Zhan Qingyue: “…??”

Luckily, Zhan Qingyue was used to big events, so his shock was only momentary.

He quickly regained his composure, smiled slightly under the spotlight, stood up, and walked calmly onto the stage.

Bullet screen.

【Ahhh, Chi Yu!】

【Oh my god, the official kept this under wraps too well! Ahhh, this surprise is bigger than any I’ve ever received】

【I’m going to cry. What kind of divine official is this? I’m deciding to buy more skins!】

【Wuwuwu, Zhan Qingyue, I’m so surprised!】

【Seeing Zhan Qingyue instantly makes me feel reassured. What’s going on?】

【Winning or losing doesn’t matter. Seeing Chi Yu play live in my lifetime is enough. So worth it!】

…

The live audience was far less composed than the bullet screen. Jingjing and the others were stunned.

“What the heck, what the heck, what the heck,” Jingjing was so excited she didn’t know what to say.

She turned to Zhou Yang, “Did you know about this in advance?”

“…… I didn’t know.” Not only did he not know, but even Zhan Qingyue probably didn’t know.

Mengmeng clutched her chest, “As a CP fan, this is the most satisfying pair I’ve ever followed. Divine love, this must be what it’s like.”

What happened next was even more divine.

As Zhan Qingyue walked onto the stage, the fans screamed.

He stood next to Ning Qiuxiu, who mischievously smiled at him.

Zhan Qingyue’s smile, captured perfectly by the camera, triggered another wave of shrieks from the audience.

The host, momentarily dazzled, managed to keep a smile as he said, “It looks like everyone’s very excited. Let’s have the ‘Master’ introduce himself first.”

Zhan Qingyue took the microphone and said, “I don’t dare call myself a Master. Hello everyone, I’m the mysterious guest Zhan Qingyue. My game ID is Chi Yu, and I’m so mysterious that I didn’t even know I was a guest until recently.”

Laughter erupted from the crowd, realizing that even Zhan Qingyue was unaware of his role until the last minute.

The host, smiling, continued, “Why is it so mysterious? Perhaps we should ask the lady standing next to you.”

Zhan Qingyue handed the microphone to Ning Qiuxiu, holding it for her.

“Because someone once told me his dream was to become an esports professional player when he was young, and with this opportunity, the official staff asked if I’d like to bring Zhan Qingyue along for the exhibition match. His birthday is also approaching, so…”

Ning Qiuxiu’s explanation was drowned out by cheers from the crowd.

【This sweetness, I’m going to get diabetes】

【Qiuxiu is so loving towards Zhan Qingyue, I don’t even know what to say】

【Qiuxiu is playing it so well, I’m giving this move a 10,000 out of 10】

【If they break up, I’ll never believe in love again】

…

The CP fans were in heaven, savoring the sweet moments.

However, since this was a gaming live broadcast, there were also many viewers who were less interested in the celebrity romance and more focused on the game.

【Damn it, why can’t they just play the game? What’s with all this nonsense? Is “Kingdom Callers” going down the drain?】

【I’m here for the match, not to watch your public display of affection. Get a room!】

【What kind of amateur hour is this? Is this a slight against my MJ team?】

【MJ, fight back and crush these lovebirds!】

…

The barrage of harsh comments continued, with Ning Qiuxiu’s fans and CP supporters growing increasingly frustrated.

Since it was the official invitation, they were powerless to change the situation. Ning Qiuxiu had only explained briefly in response to the host’s question, and it hadn’t delayed the event at all.

Yet, the level of animosity was baffling.

As the match began, the first round saw MJ’s players underestimating their opponents.

Ming Xi, despite often playing with friends, wasn’t able to match the skill level of the professional players, resulting in a loss for MJ.

And they lost cleanly and decisively, being pushed to their base and defeated in just 25 minutes, with only 2 kills in the entire match.

MJ’s players: “……”

Audience: “……”

Bullet screen: “……”

This unexpected loss left everyone momentarily speechless.

Even Ning Qiuxiu’s own fans had expected them to lose badly.

No one anticipated such an easy victory, which instantly boosted everyone’s confidence.

【Those who said Qiuqiu and Mr. Zhan would be crushed, show your faces and take the hit!】

This bullet screen was flooded by Ning Qiuxiu and Zhan Qingyue’s fans as well as CP fans. Even the aggressive fans who had expected MJ to win were stunned by how badly MJ performed.

However—

【MJ underestimated their opponents and didn’t prepare well for the draft. Don’t get too proud. The next match will be a reversal; it’s MJ’s tradition to make a comeback.】

Uninformed fans like Little Star from Chi Yu’s fanbase: What the heck!

Why is there a second match?

Oh no, it’s too early to be smug.

The second match quickly began.

This time, MJ wasn’t as complacent and picked heroes with strong lane pressure, putting SK under a lot of pressure.

They targeted Ming Xi as a weak point and managed to break his lane.

The match dragged on for 40 minutes, but in the end, Ning Qiuxiu’s team won with a slight advantage.

The final score was 2:0, with Ning Qiuxiu’s team defeating the MJ team.

Ning Qiuxiu’s fans, who had been doubting her before the match, were now elated.

They celebrated in the bullet screen, and most of the aggressive fans who had been insulting were now silent.

Wow, that was awesome← This is the heartfelt reaction of Little Star from Chi Yu’s fanbase.

In the audience, Jingjing and Mengmeng, both CP fans and gamers, were on the verge of tears from emotion.

“They had such amazing synergy in the bottom lane, it almost left me in awe. Wuwuwu, is this what they mean by a couple in sync?” Jingjing clutched her chest, her heart still racing from the excitement. “I thought they were going to lose.”

“I’m stunned too,” Mengmeng said excitedly. “Even though their performance wasn’t like that of professional players, our love made up for it. No one can beat us in the face of our love!”

Jingjing added, “Suddenly I want to be in a relationship, wuwuwu.”

Zhou Yang, sitting next to her, cleared his throat, and Mengmeng winked at her, saying, “Go for it, the person’s right here.”

Jingjing blushed and proudly said, “Hmph, he plays games while holding onto my leg to rank up. No way!”

Zhou Yang: “……”

Guess he’s just not cut out for gaming.