By Zephyria 
The man’s voice was clear and deep.
The surroundings fell into a silence so profound it seemed frozen, where even the drop of a needle could be heard.
Tiny specks of dust, like shattered starlight, floated soundlessly under the dazzling beams of light before drifting downward.
“It’s Ren Congmian…!”
“Oh my god…”
The man beside him turned his head in panic, hearing the hushed exclamations and whispers from the girl seated next to him.
Lu Wei’s pupils trembled uncontrollably.
—Ren Congmian.
Even if one didn’t recognize him, no one could claim ignorance of that name.
The undisputed top-tier actor of the era, who never participated in any promotional hype yet still dominated headlines. As the eldest son of the Lu family, Lu Wei understood better than anyone what the Ren family behind Ren Congmian represented.
Nobility and power beyond measure.
The enterprises under Ren Congmian’s control… even encompassed their Song family.
Strictly speaking, the man before him was his father’s superior.
Lu Wei could no longer care about saving face. A chill ran down his spine, and his teeth began to chatter involuntarily.
Why would someone like that appear in a place like this!?
And claim to be Sheep’s… guardian.
How could a recently adult esports player have any connection to such a figure!?
And just moments ago, he had been openly disrespectful to Sheep.
Lu Wei’s lips parted in stunned silence, but no words came out. The sound of hurried footsteps approached—he recognized the head organizer of the national tournament, flanked by two security guards.
The organizer had heard the commotion from afar and rushed over, sweating profusely. But when he saw the man who had effortlessly lifted Lu Wei by the collar… he froze.
Upon closer inspection, he sucked in a sharp breath.
“President Ren…”
The organizer, Song, stumbled to a halt, equally flustered, and stammered, “Ah, President Ren, our deepest apologies.”
“Disturbing your enjoyment of the match is our failure.”
On one side was the heir of the tournament’s second-largest sponsor, and on the other, the supreme authority who could dismiss them all with a single word.
Only a fool wouldn’t know which side to choose.
Song rubbed his hands together hesitantly, trying to negotiate. “President Ren, the second half is about to begin. Perhaps you’d like to return to watching the match? Leave the rest to us—we’ll handle it without disturbing you further.”
Later, Song would realize that it might have been the phrase “the second half is about to begin” that changed the man’s mind.
For President Ren, what mattered more than teaching this reckless intruder a lesson was the player in the esports jersey on the stage.
The moment his collar was released, Lu Wei slumped into his seat.
Song immediately signaled to the security guards behind him, who swiftly moved in, grabbing Lu Wei by both arms and escorting him out of the venue.
Ren Congmian took the vacated seat.
The light gradually illuminated the previously obscured floor and the competition stage, as well as the man’s strikingly handsome features. At the same time, it revealed the trembling gaze of Jing Mian on the stage, who had been hidden from view until now.
“Holy shit…”
The red-haired guy exclaimed excitedly, “Ren Congmian actually came to watch the match!?”
“I knew the national tournament was a big deal, but not this big.”
Mole frowned slightly. “Can you hear what they’re saying?”
“No, it’s too far.”
“And it looks like there was some kind of conflict?”
The red-haired guy whispered, “Could Ren Congmian be… standing up for our MianMian?”
Mole’s tone was indifferent, as if he couldn’t comprehend it: “Why would he go this far?”
“…Could it be that Mr. Ren is also a fan of ME.?”
As the red-haired guy’s words fell, Jing Mian curled his fingers nervously, his tightly pressed lips unable to utter another word.
Because the moment he looked up, his gaze met the most conspicuous man in the audience.
The young man’s eyelashes trembled slightly.
Mr. Ren… had actually revealed his identity on his own!
Not only that, but his husband had taken the seat of the person who had just insulted him. The man now sat in the spot closest to the arena, openly and silently watching him, truly in the manner of a lover.
The young player, who had just experienced an unexpected situation, had been overwhelmed with shock, trembling, and a suffocating tightness in his chest. But now, all of that had completely faded away.
Their gazes intertwined. Though he should have been anxious and uneasy on his husband’s behalf, in reality, Jing Mian’s heart had never felt calmer than at this moment.
To him, Mr. Ren was…
The moon in a dim starry sky, and the dewy light of dawn.
A staff member crouched down to notify the players to prepare, the second half of the match was about to begin.
Cen Xian asked quietly, “MianMian, are you in good condition?”
Jing Mian pressed his pale lips together and responded in a composed voice:
“I am.”
The players put on their equipment.
The game screen flickered rapidly in their vision, and soon, a dimly glowing scene gradually came into view. The players realized they had been matched to the amusement park map.
A fusion of fairy tales and horror.
Though players who weren’t particularly sensitive to such elements didn’t find it scary, for some, the eerie and terrifying nature of this map reached unprecedented heights.
Jing Mian belonged to the former group.
The top-ranked Big Brother beside him, however, belonged to the latter.
[Amusement park, huh…]
[I quit the moment I get this map. I know it’s unfair to my teammates, but in the middle of the night, it scares the soul right out of me.]
[The most classic part is that giant rocking doll that stays still the whole game, only to turn into a boss and chase players in the last few minutes.]
[I don’t get why you guys find it scary.]
[+1]
……
Song Xianyang broke out in a cold sweat.
Originally a highly paid esports expert, he had later concealed his identity and joined the club Jing Mian was part of. With his skill level, he should have been able to remain composed and handle any tricky situation with ease.
That was, until Song Xianyang caught sight of the empty merry-go-round, where the horses had lost their heads and were all eerily turned to stare in his direction.
Song Xianyang: “……”
As the four-man team jumped onto the activated swinging pendulum, Song Xianyang was successfully ambushed by the second-to-last boss of the round. In his Holographic Glasses, the visual scene swayed desolately in the empty space, accompanied by the creaking of mechanical sounds.
During the next swing, an iron gate suddenly appeared, right in the pendulum’s path.
A few seconds later, one player was decapitated.
The barrage erupted with reactions:
[Light a candle for Big Brother.]
[This map is on the harder side, but the pendulum isn’t actually that difficult. Count three seconds in your head, then four the next round, alternating between the two, and you can dodge the gate.]
[Easy for you to say. Even pro players can easily die here if they lose focus for just a second.]
[Wishing on behalf of Big Brother: May the world have no amusement parks]
[Lighting a candle]
[Lighting a candle +1]
[Lighting a candle +2]
……
Sheep didn’t stop.
He counted the seconds silently in his mind, picked up the dagger, and while Mole attacked from behind to draw the Boss’s attention, Jing Mian swiftly raised his hand and aimed for the Boss’s chin.
The next second, the Boss roared in pain, its massive hand gripping one of Jing Mian’s wrists.
Amid the struggle, Jing Mian parted his lips slightly and whispered, “…4.”
At that moment, the Boss forgot to crouch to dodge the guillotine-like pendulum. In an instant, the massive creature was dealt a fatal blow.
The pendulum stopped.
Sheep also lost his right hand, which had been restraining the Boss.
Mole helped Sheep stop the bleeding, while the red-haired player obtained the clue to the red door, the remaining objective for the three survivors in this round.
Due to Sheep’s injury, his movement became sluggish.
For the final Boss battle, he took on the role of healing and gathering supplies to support the other two.
Just as the giant doll, resembling a beckoning cat, lost its momentum and stopped swaying, the true Boss appeared eerily.
Along with the location of the red door.
By the time the last two players from the opposing team showed up, Sheep was already at critical health but still desperately healing the red-haired player.
All while dodging the Boss’s attacks and pursuit.
[Maybe it’s because I love too deeply]
[My heart aches seeing Sheep limping with a missing hand]
[This round is lost. Probably only Mole will make it out]
[Wuwu, my precious MianMian]
……
The ensuing battle unfolded almost exactly as predicted by the commentators and players.
The two surviving players from ARE. were the team’s ace and a rising star who had performed exceptionally in provincial competitions. Their coordination and rotations were seamless, nearly lasting until the moment before the Boss fell.
Sheep was the first to fall, followed by the red-haired player, who had been at nearly full health.
Cen Xian held on until dawn broke over the amusement park.
The Boss crumbled before his eyes.
Mole stepped through the red door.
…
Victory.
The commentators, who had followed the entire match, raised their voices in excitement: “Congratulations! ME. has successfully advanced in the first round of Glory’s national group stage!”
In other words, today—
ME.’s members not only broke their own group stage record but also shattered their curse of elimination-round losses!!
It might take the players a few seconds to disengage from the game, but the audience in the venue and the hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of viewers watching the livestream erupted in an instant.
As the players removed their equipment, they also took off their headsets.
Infected by the atmosphere, Jing Mian couldn’t help but feel a surge of exhilaration. He lifted his gaze, adjusting to the light, and instinctively looked toward the spectator stands.
Only to find—
Mr. Ren’s seat was empty. The man was nowhere to be seen.
Jing Mian: “?”
His gaze shifted further back.
Husband wasn’t in the third row either.
Jing Mian blinked in confusion, his throat bobbing slightly.
He realized that perhaps Husband had other matters to attend to and had left the venue early.
Given the sudden circumstances, he might have had to leave without notice—and since Jing Mian was still on stage, there was no way for the man to inform him, nor for him to know.
This was an expected and perfectly reasonable situation.
Jing Mian thought that for Mr. Ren to spare most of his day accompanying him to the competition must have involved considerable sacrifice, something the young man could roughly imagine.
So while Jing Mian expressed complete understanding, a faint, almost imperceptible sense of loss welled up in his heart, so subtle that even he couldn’t quite grasp it.
But soon, his teammates came running over one after another, pulling him into a group hug. As they tousled his hair, that fleeting emotion was quickly drowned out by the team’s exhilarated victory celebrations.
“We made it through the qualifiers!!”
“Ahhh—!!”
“ME. is insane!!!”
“Insane!!!!”
……
The members of ME. embraced and cheered under the golden confetti, while the audience in the stands roared just as fervently. When they finally left the stage, Jing Mian followed his teammates through the slightly cool player tunnel, its walls lined with alternating spotlights, the floor smooth, the surrounding lighting dim yet the atmosphere thick with intensity.
“Players, please wait a moment. There’ll be a post-match interview shortly.”
A staff member jogged over, gesturing toward the location as she spoke softly, “It should last about thirty minutes.”
She briefly mentioned the possible interview topics, the lineup order, and other details so the players could mentally prepare.
Sheep stood behind his teammates, his expression hidden beneath his hoodie.
In truth, Jing Mian was listening intently, not distracted in the slightest.
But then—
Suddenly, his hand was taken.
A warm palm pressed against his, fingers sliding to the inside of his wrist before tightening their grip. At the same time, an arm wrapped around his waist, and with a force that left him flustered, Jing Mian was lifted slightly off the ground.
Jing Mian: “!!”
By the time his shoes touched the floor again, his vision had darkened.
All of this happened in just three seconds.
Jing Mian didn’t even have time to gasp, only a soft inhale escaped him.
Behind him came the quiet click of a door closing.
He soon realized he was now inside one of the unused resting compartments lining the player tunnel, separated from where he had just been standing by nothing more than a door. The room had blinds by the entrance, and the lights were off.
In this cramped, dimly lit space, the surroundings were eerily silent.
So quiet that the drop of a pin would have been deafening.
Jing Mian could even hear his own slightly uneven breaths.
Because—he recognized his husband.
“!”
His heart skipped a beat.
His pupils slowly constricted.
……
In the darkness, he was pulled into an embrace.
Their height difference meant the man had to bend slightly.
Like his brother, in Jing Mian’s fleeting impressions, his husband always carried a faint, clean fragrance, whether from his sleeves, collar, or the curve of his neck.
Enveloped by this familiar scent, Jing Mian, whose nerves were still wound tight from the match, felt himself relax almost unconsciously, though a trace of bewilderment lingered.
His chilled fingers curled hesitantly, brushing against the hem of his husband’s clothes. After a moment’s hesitation, Jing Mian gently grasped it.
“You did amazing today.”
Jing Mian froze.
Mr. Ren’s cool, deep voice murmured by his ear.
“……”
Jing Mian’s throat tightened.
He could hear his own heartbeat, wild and impossible to suppress.
“My little one.”
The man wordlessly held him tighter:
“You’ve worked hard.”