By Zephyria 
This brief interview segment, clipped from the ceremonial activities, was uploaded amidst the heated discussions on both sides.
[Mr. Ren plays Glory too?!]
[Feels like the dimensional wall just shattered. Also, screaming, this man is so damn handsome!!!]
[Turns out Mr. Ren supports ME! Hehe, whispering, I’m actually on that team too.]
[Did you guys not watch the full interview? He doesn’t just support ME, he specifically likes a player from Qingfeng District. That’s called targeted favoritism.]
[As someone who doesn’t play games, can someone tell me, who’s the player from Qingfeng District?]
[Ahem, from what I know, there are two. One is ME’s main player, Mole, and the other is a recently popular streamer-turned-pro… ID: Sheep.]
[Then it’s definitely Mole! Who doesn’t love a beautiful, strong, tragic underdog with a teardrop mole?]
[No way, Sheep would absolutely appeal more to Mr. Ren. There was this UP who made a fanvid of them—super spicy, the height difference x tension was off the charts.]
[It’s Sheep for sure.]
[Forget the video, here’s some insider tea: A friend of mine was at the national Glory group stage matches, sitting in the second row. Not only did they see Ren Congmian, but they also saw him defend Sheep!]
[The atmosphere was so tense it felt like a showdown. Some troublemaker was insulting Sheep, and Mr. Ren looked furious, like he was about to throw hands any second.]
[He even said… he was Sheep’s guardian.]
[…]
[Hey, upstairs anon, are you writing fanfiction?]
[Damn, you’re shipping such a niche, ice-cold CP? You’ve got guts.]
[LMAO if Weibo isn’t enough for you, go write on Zhihu, it’ll sound more believable there.]
The post was soon buried under other trending topics.
Chen Ke scrolled through the real-time discussions on Weibo, his heart pounding with every swipe.
Though Brother Ren had exposed his identity by removing his mask in the audience seats during the match, thankfully, the live broadcast and recording equipment had coincidentally been cut off by the organizers due to an unexpected incident. Later, they managed to suppress the news, so no footage leaked.
Still, the audience and players present had all heard those words to varying degrees.
—Ren Congmian was Sheep’s guardian.
Whether people guessed the nature of their relationship or not, anything involving Ren Congmian, or even just the slightest mention of his name, would inevitably spark massive discussions.
So it was better to be cautious.
The finals were approaching.
Jing Mian came home later and later, sometimes even staying overnight at the club. On the eve of the finals, after dinner, he packed his bag, and Husband drove him to the hotel.
Before parting, Husband leaned against the passenger-side window, lifting the backpack strap for the boy to slip his arm through, then handed him a mask.
“Are you sure you don’t want me watching the finals?”
Jing Mian paused at the question, then nodded. “Yeah.”
During the group stage, Husband had attended as family, but that time, his identity had nearly been exposed. His cover being blown wasn’t the main issue, after all, there was no rule against celebrities attending e-sports matches. The real problem was that people might dig deeper. Fans with microscopic attention to detail could easily piece together his relationship with Husband.
But this didn’t seem like a reason strong enough to stop Mr. Ren from watching the finals. After all, compared to his husband, Jing Mian was the one more concerned about their marriage being exposed. So the young man had to come up with another excuse.
“If Husband is in the audience… I might get distracted.”
As he said this, Jing Mian avoided the man’s gaze, his lashes trembling slightly. “If I underperform in the finals, all the effort up till now would be wasted.”
But the man had attended the national competition before, and back then, Sheep’s performance had been steady—even better than during training.
So what was different now?
Though unspoken, the answer was clear.
—Husband had confessed his feelings just days ago.
Before, when he hadn’t realized it, it was fine. But now that he knew, he couldn’t pretend nothing had happened. Every interaction and conversation with his husband since then had left Jing Mian’s ears burning.
So, for both emotional and practical reasons, it wasn’t ideal for Mr. Ren to be present at the finals.
“Alright.”
Mr. Ren didn’t press further. Instead, he ruffled the young man’s hair and helped him put on his mask. The cool touch of his fingers brushed past Jing Mian’s ear, making him freeze for a moment before the man withdrew his hand and murmured, “Have fun.”
“May the little player exceed expectations.”
The deep, magnetic voice made Jing Mian’s throat tighten. The black mask hid most of his expression as he nodded. “Mm.”
“Thank you, Husband.”
Even though they’d already had dinner, when Song Xianyang mentioned that the restaurant was now serving various fruits, including blueberries, Jing Mian couldn’t resist the temptation and followed along.
“Finals really are something, the treatment’s several tiers above last time.” Red Hair, He Jing, pinched a shrimp between two fingers. “Look at this shrimp. Have you ever seen one this big?”
Song Xianyang coughed and quietly pressed the shrimp back onto Red Hair’s plate. “Mirror, put it down first… The AUB members are watching.”
“They’ve had this plenty of times, so of course they’re used to it.” Red Hair shrugged, sitting back down at the table and putting on gloves to peel the shrimp. “Besides, are they even looking at me? It’s obviously MianMian.”
Sheep had only joined the team half a year ago and had never shown his face. For a newcomer to win so many matches with the team, it was only natural that the AUB members were curious when they finally caught him dining in the hall.
Xuan Cheng looked at the young recruit he’d brought in, feeling nothing but pride.
Jing Mian was in the middle of eating a blueberry tart when his name was suddenly mentioned, causing him to pause mid-bite.
“Just keep eating.”
The one who spoke was Cen Xian. Leaning back in his chair, a teardrop mole resting near the corner of his eye, his long neck tilted slightly as he called over a passing waiter. “Tell them over there that if they keep staring at our team’s kid, they’ll be charged by the second.”
The waiter chuckled.
Just then, a figure walked in through the door.
Though the footsteps were light, they drew attention, likely due to the undeniable, faintly oppressive aura that followed.
When people looked up, they saw a man dressed entirely in black, wearing a straight, wide-collared black windbreaker with a sleek metal zipper. His gaze, beneath lowered lashes, was like the calm depths of a blue ocean.
The restaurant fell silent for a moment.
The ME members froze for a few seconds, while the AUB members nearest the door turned their heads. “Captain!”
Other voices soon followed. “Captain!”
The man raised his hand and tossed his crossbody bag to a teammate, who caught it steadily.
Jing Mian pursed his lips, finishing the last bite of his egg tart. After a moment’s thought, he asked Xuan Cheng, “Shock?”
Xuan Cheng nodded.
Beside them, Cen Xian remained silent, still focused on his phone.
Shock didn’t head straight to his seat. Instead, he turned and walked directly toward ME’s dining area.
When he stopped, it was right at their table.
Xuan Cheng stood up, extending his hand warmly. “Shock! Long time no see. The last time we met was at Glory headquarters.”
Surprisingly, Shock didn’t hesitate to shake his hand. “Long time indeed. Thanks for reserving three devices for me during the last system update.”
Xuan Cheng laughed heartily. “Just a small favor.”
The others at the table were taken aback.
Shock’s usual demeanor was lazy and roguish, hardly the type to engage in polite conversation. Yet here he was, effortlessly sociable, perhaps a necessary skill for a Team captain.
After exchanging a few pleasantries, everyone expected Shock to return to AUB’s table. Instead, he remained standing there, the light catching the distinct strands of his black hair. His expression was unreadable, yet there was a hint of amusement in his gaze.
As if looking down, his clear, icy blue eyes settled on the composed figure beside Xuan Cheng.
“Mole, long time no see.”
Cen Xian lifted his gaze, staring coldly at him.
He didn’t even respond.
In those few seconds, the atmosphere plummeted to freezing point.
Yet the one who initiated the greeting didn’t seem the least bit awkward.
The awkwardness belonged to the other teammates, who had paused mid-bite.
Song Xianyang whispered, “What’s going on??”
Red Hair set down the half-peeled shrimp in his hand and murmured, “Old acquaintances. They were even classmates once. Before Cen Xian joined ME, he and Shock were on the same Team. No one knows what happened, but they went their separate ways.”
Jing Mian heard it clearly, along with Song Xianyang’s next question, the one everyone wanted to ask but didn’t dare: “Is Cen Xian’s hand injury related to Shock?”
Red Hair shook his head. “No idea. Cen Xian never mentioned it.”
“But judging by the timeline, it’s probably connected.”
Jing Mian lowered his gaze and quietly set down his second blueberry tart.
“And who’s this little one?”
At Shock’s words, everyone followed his line of sight. Jing Mian had just looked up when he felt the man’s eyes on him. Shock’s lips curled into a faint, humorless smile. “Don’t recognize him.”
“Someone’s family member?”
Before Jing Mian could speak, the others at the table stood up. In the wake of the earlier tension, their protective instincts were at their peak. But before they could introduce him—
The young man spoke calmly:
“The future national champion.”