The entire scene fell into silence for about ten seconds.
Before the players could fully grasp what had just happened, their eyes were drawn to the cold and concise words pinned at the top of the PK channel.
— “Apologize to him.”
These few words seemed to perfectly encapsulate Ash’s personality.
Though aloof, they carried an undeniable sense of authority. Moreover, this tone was directed at Greek, the second-ranked god on the PK leaderboard.
Greek’s image had been deeply ingrained in the minds of Glory players—a powerhouse who appreciated talented players, yet his overwhelming strength inevitably instilled a sense of awe and fear in everyone.
However, anyone who had played Glory felt that if these words came from Ash, it suddenly didn’t feel out of place.
Only Ash had the qualification and confidence to speak like this.
And it was the kind of confidence that completely overwhelmed.
Most importantly, in the current situation,
Ash… was demanding that Greek apologize to Jing Mian?!
After a brief silence, the chat exploded with shock and excitement:
【Ash is so damn cool】
【New player here, completely mesmerized by Ash, this man is absolutely A+!!】
【？？！！！】
【What?】
【Holy crap, what’s going on?】
【Wait, did I misunderstand? Why is Ash asking Greek to apologize? What did he do to MianMian?】
【No idea what’s happening +1, but I don’t care, Ash is just too cool.】
【The only thing I can think of is that it might be related to that post a while ago where Li Shengwen accused Sheep of something…】
This comment seemed to awaken the players.
Everyone suddenly recalled that just before Ash logged in, Li Shengwen had posted on the Glory forum, insinuating that Jing Mian had been secretly trying to seduce his boyfriend. The incident had caused quite a stir, even drawing attention from outside the gaming community.
However, the news of Ash’s explosive return had overshadowed it.
In this incident, Li Shengwen’s partner was most likely Greek.
Coincidentally, just half a minute after Ash logged in, Greek was abruptly and mercilessly crushed.
The process was cold and ruthless, a complete and utter domination, with experience points plummeting to the point of near-death… The night’s shocking climax and reversal suddenly seemed to make a bit more sense.
The players began to realize that Ash’s return might have been motivated by something related to Jing Mian—someone they would have never associated with Ash.
【This is terrifying to think about, could this be the reason Ash came back?】
【Can someone explain, is this protecting his wife?】
【！！！！】
【I’m dying from the sweetness!!!】
【After five years of retirement, his first return is to fiercely punish those who bullied his wife, going all out for his beloved?!】
【Comrades, I’m completely overwhelmed】
【I’ve been wanting to say this since earlier, first of all, MianMian’s character is both cool and alluring, paired with Ash’s single-shoulder cape, broad shoulders, narrow waist, and the height difference… The sexual tension between them when they locked eyes earlier was just too much, wuwuwu】
【The most amazing part is that Ash triggered his Shadow Guard, and the Shadow Guard even draped the cape over Jing Mian… I need oxygen】
【……】
【The people above have completely lost it】
【Why does everything have to be interpreted that way? Can’t they just know each other? Do you understand brotherhood?】
……
In that instant, Greek seemed to suddenly understand something.
Then, his slightly surprised expression turned ashen, the veins on his forehead faintly bulging.
It wasn’t that he hadn’t thought about apologizing to Jing Mian.
After all, they were going to meet at the provincial competition tomorrow, and he didn’t want to leave Jing Mian with any bad impressions. Even before Ash typed those words, he had already ordered Li Shengwen to delete that post and apologize to Sheep.
Of course, he would also issue a statement on his homepage to clarify the situation.
But now, that plan had been completely disrupted, even fundamentally altered.
No matter whether he apologized, issued a statement, or publicly addressed anything related to Li Shengwen’s post, it would be misinterpreted as him succumbing to “Ash’s command.”
Greek felt an unprecedented sense of humiliation.
And if he stubbornly pushed through the next two matches, he would not only lose his second-place position but, more critically, the value and the massive chain of interests tied to that ranking and his Team.
Ash’s move was ruthless and precise.
He didn’t leave Greek any room to recover.
Greek frowned, feeling both humiliated and utterly confused.
What exactly was going on?
How did Ash know Jing Mian?
If they knew each other, why would Jing Mian go through all the trouble to compete with Glory players for a seemingly elusive Shadow Guard? Moreover, whether in the past or now, Greek had been closely monitoring Jing Mian’s activities. Neither in Glory nor on any other public platform had Jing Mian ever interacted with Ash.
Greek’s brow furrowed slightly.
He couldn’t help but wonder if Ash had simply seen the post, felt indignant on Jing Mian’s behalf, and decided to step in.
It seemed that Li Shengwen hadn’t just disrupted his plan—
he had also made him provoke someone he absolutely shouldn’t have.
Greek clenched his teeth, barely suppressing the rising anger. The immediate priority was to prevent Ash from continuing the second match. Swallowing his pride, he slowly typed on the screen:
【…Sorry, Sheep.】
【Li Shengwen’s post was fabricated. He’s not my lover, but I apologize on his behalf for hurting you, an innocent party.】
……
Jing Mian sat on the floor by the bed.
Holding his laptop, he stared at the screen in shock, his eyes filled with confusion and astonishment. After Ash’s appearance, everything that had happened without warning was enough to shake him to the core.
Why… was Ash helping him?
Unconsciously, it had become a condition for Ash to end the match. Before Ash approached him, Jing Mian had even thought the man was coming to reclaim the Shadow Guard.
His mind raced, countless absurd possibilities flashing through his thoughts, but in the end, Jing Mian leaned toward the most plausible one.
Perhaps Ash had seen the forum post and decided to step in to help him.
Or… was he helping him vent his anger?
He had to admit, the sense of isolation he had felt earlier was slowly dissipating because of Ash’s appearance, the overcast mood now seeing a glimmer of sunlight.
Jing Mian thought,
Even if Ash hadn’t done all this, his mere return—the joy of regaining what was lost—would have been enough to sweep away Jing Mian’s previous gloom.
From a quietly amazed spectator to a heart-pounding participant, the strangest part was that they didn’t even know each other. The only explanation was probably… because he possessed Ash’s Shadow Guard, which was the only connection between them.
Under Ash’s gaze, Jing Mian hesitated on how to respond, as neither accepting nor rejecting seemed appropriate.
But soon, a line of text appeared on the screen:
「Player “Ash” has terminated the match. This PK has ended.」
「Player “Ash” has won!」
Then, Jing Mian noticed a transparent, illusory marker above Greek’s head, displaying the opponent’s experience points. Under everyone’s watchful eyes, the progress bar rapidly drained, finally stopping at 300 million.
…A full 50 million experience points had been deducted.
With just a flick of his fingers, Ash had rendered Greek’s entire year of effort meaningless.
On this day, all Glory players realized one thing—
That beautiful streamer with the ID “Sheep” was absolutely not to be messed with.
He had the server’s number one god of war backing him.
Before logging out of the game, Jing Mian accidentally saw a friend request from Ash.
“!”
Suppressing his nervousness, Jing Mian clicked “Accept.”
Soon, the interface jumped to the chat box between him and Ash, with a lonely message pinned at the top: 「You can start chatting now.」
Jing Mian stared blankly for a while, unsure of what to say or whether he even needed to speak.
Not long after, Ash went offline.
The laptop was closed.
Perhaps because the night had been too tumultuous, even after logging out of the game, Jing Mian still found it hard to calm down from the earlier emotions.
So, not only had Ash helped him, but they had also successfully become friends.
Jing Mian suddenly remembered that the last time he had visited the Glory headquarters with his Team, he had actually met Ash in person, thanks to Mobo’s introduction.
Strangely, despite such a real and tangible connection, he couldn’t associate that in-person meeting with the Ash from the arena match.
Generally, meeting one’s idol in real life would be far more exciting than encountering them in a game, but in fact, he had been very calm, even composed… Yet just moments ago, when Ash had unexpectedly approached him in the game, Jing Mian could still recall the pounding of his heart.
This feeling was indescribable.
If it weren’t for Mobo’s testimony, he would have found it hard to believe that the man he had met that day and the Ash in the game were the same person.
Jing Mian was deep in thought.
Suddenly, he heard the sound of a door opening not far away.
Light and familiar, based on the distance and sound, Jing Mian realized it was the study door being opened.
…It was Mr. Ren.
Had he finished his work?
Snapping out of his wandering thoughts, Jing Mian maintained his posture, listening as the footsteps grew closer, eventually reaching their bedroom.
Jing Mian turned his head and met the man’s gaze.
Though it was just an ordinary eye contact, Jing Mian suddenly felt an indescribable sensation, one he couldn’t quite put into words.
His heart inexplicably fluttered.
This subtle silence lasted for a few seconds before Jing Mian noticed that the man’s gaze seemed to shift slightly downward, landing on his lower body.
Jing Mian instinctively lowered his gaze.
And then he realized that he was sprawled on the floor, his laptop placed by the bedside, one of his slippers had somehow fallen off, and near his ankle, half-packed luggage lay scattered, looking somewhat messy.
Jing Mian: “…”
Was his current appearance a bit… untidy?
Jing Mian’s Adam’s apple bobbed as he instinctively reached for his slipper, but at the same time, he heard the sound of Mr. Ren approaching.
The next second, his body was lifted into the air.
Jing Mian: “!”
From sitting on the floor, the sensation of weightlessness only lasted for a moment. He felt a softness beneath him and realized he had been carried to the bed by Mr. Ren.
His legs dangled over the edge of the bed, with only one slipper remaining. Jing Mian watched as Mr. Ren picked up the slipper that had fallen to the floor and grasped his ankle.
The cool touch of the fingertips made Jing Mian shiver slightly.
Then, Mr. Ren helped him put on the slipper.
Jing Mian’s heart inexplicably raced because, from this angle, Mr. Ren was bending down, half-kneeling in front of him. When the man looked up, their eyes met at the same level, or Jing Mian had to tilt his head slightly upward.
This half-kneeling posture, being looked up at, gave Jing Mian an illusion of being cherished and valued.
Mr. Ren spoke at this moment: “Why were you sitting on the floor?”
Jing Mian was startled, feeling a bit embarrassed: “I was playing a game earlier… and forgot.”
The man didn’t delve deeper into the matter, only asking: “Is the luggage packed?”
Jing Mian glanced sideways at the scattered suitcases and clothes that were too messy to look at directly. His face seemed to burn as he pursed his lips and said, “Almost, just ten more minutes.”
Jing Mian added: “Mr. Ren, you should go to bed first.”
However, Ren Xingwan stood up, “Is there anything else to pack?”
Jing Mian was puzzled but still answered: “No, just need to organize and pack the suitcase.”
What followed was…
The situation inexplicably turned into him sitting on the bed, somewhat bewildered, watching Mr. Ren bend down to help him organize the luggage in the suitcase.
Jing Mian stared at Mr. Ren’s figure, watching as the dim bedroom light cast shadows on the man’s profile, making him look deep, handsome, and as if blending into the blurred background.
The exposed forearm when the man rolled up his sleeves, the slightly drooping hair, the high bridge of his nose… Every detail seemed to be hidden in the imprint of time, inadvertently revealing a corner, making Jing Mian’s heartbeat slow down inexplicably.
Jing Mian found himself unable to look away.
But then, a sudden remark from Mr. Ren snapped Jing Mian out of his daze.
“Why did you bring so much instant noodles?”
Jing Mian: “…”
After living together and getting used to Mr. Ren’s cooking, being caught secretly bringing instant noodles gave Jing Mian an inexplicable feeling of being caught red-handed by his lover.
Jing Mian straightened up and explained: “If I get hungry, instant noodles are more convenient.”
Mr. Ren pondered for a moment: “There will be some on the high-speed train and at the hotel. Why bring your own?”
Jing Mian thought for a moment and said, “These are my favorite flavors, and they might not be available there.”
Ren Xingwan held the instant noodle box, and from Jing Mian’s perspective, the man seemed to be considering how to persuade him. After a moment of silence, he spoke: “Besides instant noodles, would you accept other takeout food?”
As if sensing Jing Mian’s confusion, Mr. Ren explained: “Bento.”
Jing Mian was somewhat surprised and replied: “Yes, that would be fine.”
He paused and added softly: “Thank you, Husband.”
Not only was it possible… Ever since his mother passed away and he moved into a new home with his father, Jing Mian had never eaten a homemade bento again.
So, the next day.
Jing Mian carried the bento prepared by Mr. Ren and got into his husband’s car.
Ren Xingwan had a business event today and didn’t drive his own car. Instead, his assistant, Chen Ke, came to pick him up. Since it was on the way to the station, he could give Jing Mian a ride.
As the scenery outside the window slid by, Jing Mian couldn’t help but glance sideways at the cold and upright figure of Mr. Ren. The man wasn’t wearing casual clothes today but was dressed in a formal suit.
Moreover, the tie around his husband’s neck was one he had personally tied that morning.
This time, his technique had become even more refined. The finished product had no excess fabric, neat and smooth, with a noble three-dimensionality that perfectly matched Mr. Ren’s temperament.
Jing Mian felt a bit relieved and a little proud.
The upcoming trip to M City wasn’t far from their current location in Lincheng, just a two-hour high-speed train ride away.
However, due to the long duration of the competition and the intervals that would last three to four days, this would be the first small separation for Jing Mian and Mr. Ren since their marriage.
But Jing Mian wasn’t worried at all about whether the separation would affect their relationship.
After all, there’s a saying that a short separation can be sweeter than a honeymoon.
Secondly, even without the separation, their daily life was already respectful and harmonious, calm yet warm, without any particularly intense passion to maintain.
…Of course, that’s if you exclude their wedding night.
After all, the marital duties performed that night were quite intense, even to the point of being overwhelming.
Whenever he thought of that night, some images would inevitably surface in his mind, making Jing Mian’s face flush with heat, forcing him to divert his attention.
Jing Mian opened his phone and swiped through the home screen.
Countless apps flashed by, and a fresh-colored app was accidentally opened. Jing Mian was slightly stunned, finding it somewhat unfamiliar. He couldn’t remember when he had downloaded it.
“…”
After focusing, Jing Mian slowly recalled.
This was an app he had been reminded to download unintentionally while in Mr. Ren’s study that day. Upon entering, he discovered it was an app specifically designed for same-sex couples, reminding them of important anniversaries, marriage duration, and providing some policy information on same-sex marriage.
However, Jing Mian later found out that this app was a bit rogue and couldn’t be easily uninstalled because it was bound to the phone’s system.
If he was determined to uninstall it, he would have to reset the phone.
That’s why Jing Mian still had this app until now.
After opening it, he found that the interface hadn’t changed much from the last time, except for some added skins, making the visuals more refined.
Just as he was about to instinctively exit, Jing Mian’s gaze suddenly paused.
At the top of the page, there was a striking reminder:
[Recent detection of intimate behavior between you and your partner, totaling six hours.]
[Exceeding 99% of users nationwide.]
Jing Mian: “…?”
The heat that had just risen not only didn’t fade but this time slowly spread to the back of his neck.
How could there be such a feature?
More importantly… how did it detect it?
[Second Update]
On the other side of Lincheng.
At the Ren family mansion by the riverside, a loud crash suddenly echoed as a hard object hit the ground and shattered.
The servant beside him trembled in fear and quickly lowered his head.
Ren Changgong stood up, his gaze sweeping over the laptop that had been thrown to the ground and now lay with a black screen. “Damn it, what the hell is going on!?”
“Ash actually logged in.”
Ren Changgong could no longer contain his anger. In his fury, he began hurling expensive objects to the ground one after another. The hall fell into complete silence, no one daring to speak up, leaving only Ren Changgong’s curses echoing: “He disappeared without a trace for five years, and now he suddenly returns? What’s his purpose? Jing Mian was already half-convinced, but now it’s completely ruined!”
By the time Mobo arrived, Ren Changgong was still seething with rage, and the floor was a mess. The servants remained silent, not daring to step forward to clean up.
Mobo swallowed hard, sighed, and walked over to advise, “Changgong, why are you so furious?”
Ren Changgong looked at him, the coldness in his eyes still present. “This was your brilliant idea.”
“Now Ash himself has logged in, and it seems he knows Jing Mian.” Ren Changgong was almost beside himself with anger. “Tell me, how are we supposed to continue with the plan? Jing Mian has met me, and he’s met you. The next time we see him, he’ll expose us directly.”
“And when Ren Xingwan finds out, how could he possibly let us off…”
Mobo took a deep breath and analyzed, “He won’t find out. Jing Mian still doesn’t know that you’re Ren Xingwan’s brother.”
“What you’re worried about won’t happen. In fact, given Ren Xingwan’s personality, the person he cherishes so much—Jing Mian—will likely never give you another chance to meet him in the future.”