Xuan Cheng didn’t like typing; he always used voice messages for announcements.
Jing Mian instinctively felt it should be about the meeting point later. He hadn’t put on his headphones, so he slightly lowered the volume and clicked on the first voice message.
After all, it was the shortest and should be straightforward.
However, as soon as he opened the voice message, what he thought was a low volume echoed clearly in the quiet car.
Even the faintest sound was captured:
“MianMian, are you coming over today?”
Jing Mian was startled.
He hadn’t expected to hear his name.
But after this short voice message ended, WeChat automatically played the next one: “If you can’t get up, I’ll call you. Didn’t I set my special ringtone for you last time? I guarantee it will work.”
The last sentence carried a hint of laughter.
The voice message was a bit long, and Jing Mian regretted playing it halfway through.
But he had no choice but to listen to the end; stopping midway would seem like he was deliberately avoiding the man.
As he listened, Jing Mian’s fingers gripping the phone stiffened, along with his spine.
The atmosphere in the group was exceptionally cheerful, with members sending several custom emojis, all calling for MianMian to wake up.
And Xuan Cheng’s last voice message was:
“MianMian, let me know when you wake up.”
With “MianMian” repeated on both sides, Jing Mian felt his grip on the phone suddenly become a bit loose.
Mr. Ren had clearly heard it.
Because when Jing Mian slightly turned his head, he noticed a subtle change in the man’s expression.
Jing Mian remembered that Mr. Ren had also called him MianMian before.
If he thought about it, it was indeed an easily misunderstood term of endearment.
Jing Mian swallowed hard, deciding to act as if nothing had happened, attempting to pass it off.
He lowered his gaze and quietly typed:
【I’m awake.】
【On my way…】
Before he could finish the second message, Jing Mian suddenly heard Mr. Ren’s voice, low and questioning: “What special ringtone?”
Jing Mian: “…”
He had indeed heard it.
Although it sounded somewhat intimate, in reality, the people in the club, whether strangers or acquaintances, generally called him that.
After all, during his previous live stream, fans had called him that, and after joining the club, it had become a habit of fitting in.
Jing Mian took a gentle breath and explained to Mr. Ren: “He’s the captain of my club. Because I always have trouble getting up, he recorded a ringtone for me.”
Jing Mian expressed a businesslike tone: “Once it rings, I know it’s a reminder from the club.”
Ren Xingwan paused for a moment and said, “If it’s a partner’s ringtone, how do you distinguish it?”
Jing Mian was momentarily speechless.
Because this ‘partner’ in this context should only refer to Mr. Ren.
Jing Mian pressed his lips together, falling into thought.
He couldn’t just record one on the spot, could he?
So, after some hesitation, Jing Mian softly asked, “Could I set my partner as the first emergency contact instead of a ringtone?”
Ren Xingwan’s gaze lingered for a moment.
Even while chatting casually with Jing Mian, the man kept his eyes on the road ahead, exuding a sense of focus and meticulousness.
Just a moment later, Mr. Ren’s voice came through:
“Okay.”
Though it wasn’t exactly a clear sky after the rain, the man’s expression had evidently relaxed compared to before.
Jing Mian suddenly felt an inexplicable sensation.
Mr. Ren was more… agreeable than he had imagined.
It was said that this time, Me. Team was going to meet the bigwigs of Glory’s leadership.
The leadership seemed intent on selecting some talented players from the various Game Servers to form a formidable team for international competitions.
Given the well-known prowess of the seasoned veterans on the PK Leaderboard, which everyone could see, past competitions had seen both wins and losses. Thus, this time, the higher-ups were also turning their attention to the rising stars, changing their strategy.
Returning from abroad and rehabilitated, Mole Cen Xian was one of them.
That little streamer who never showed his face, recently joined the team under the ID Sheep, was another.
After all, with only a few years of experience, the PK skills and records of newcomers couldn’t compare to those of the seasoned pros, often leading to discrepancies that could overshadow many talented newcomers.
Some of these individuals had become streamers,
while others were scouted by various teams.
If they were truly selected for the international competition and won, it could mean instant fame, and if they performed exceptionally, they would break into the spotlight, with unimaginable benefits following.
At the same time, it would bring immeasurable fame and honor to their team.
It was still early, and Jing Mian had not yet arrived, so the team members who had been hanging around the club were lounging about, some grinding maps, some playing team battles, some PKing, and others playing casual games on the side.
Since Xuan Cheng had gifted Jing Mian that pair of headphones, whenever they saw the young man, he was almost always wearing them. It seemed the owner of the headphones was quite fond of them, wearing them even during casual streams, not just during major competitions.
That gift was definitely worth it.
Jing Mian often skipped breakfast, so they had set aside some bread and milk, waiting for him to arrive and eat before they left.
Xuan Cheng glanced at the clock and said, “Everyone, eat something first. We’ll be heading to the game company headquarters soon, which is about a half-hour drive from here. We’ll be meeting their director and developers, and maybe a few planners.”
“Stay composed when we get there; we need to look like a proper team and not give them the impression that we’re a bunch of ruffians.”
One team member couldn’t help but laugh, “The moment MianMian joined the team, we were destined to never be ruffians again.”
“Yeah, we’re always worried someone will kidnap our little friend. If we don’t act a bit ruffian-like, they might think we can’t even protect our newcomers.”
Before long, a voice message that had just been sent in the group chat received a reply from Jing Mian:
【I’m awake.】
Then, about ten minutes later:
【On my way.】
……
But why was there such a long gap in between?
Chen Xi from the logistics department had gone out to meet the water delivery person.
Since the previous water company had moved, Chen Xi had switched to a new one. The delivery person wasn’t local and didn’t quite know how to use the map on his phone, relying entirely on phone calls for directions, often delivering to an office building two streets away, and they would still accept the order.
So she had come out early to ensure the bottled water was safely delivered to the club.
Just as she was standing there with her arms crossed, waiting, she caught sight of a car parked by the roadside not far away.
What first drew her attention was the car’s emblem.
Chen Xi gasped.
Wow, Lin City was truly a place of hidden talents; you could see luxury cars just standing around in any neighborhood.
However, compared to other flashy sports cars, this one had a much more understated style, the kind that belonged to a wealthy person who preferred to keep a low profile.
After admiring it for a moment, just as she was about to turn away, she noticed a young man getting out of the passenger seat.
The young man was wearing a hoodie and didn’t have a mask on. As he stepped out, the cold air hit him, and a mist of breath briefly escaped his lips before dissipating.
Chen Xi’s gaze froze.
She recognized that figure; he had been frequently appearing at the club lately, and just yesterday, he had shared snacks with her.
That wasn’t…
Jing Mian, was it!?
After getting out of the car, Jing Mian didn’t leave immediately.
It seemed he had been called by the person in the driver’s seat.
Then, Chen Xi saw Jing Mian walk around the front of the car and approach the driver’s window.
The window slowly rolled down.
From Chen Xi’s angle, she couldn’t see the person in the driver’s seat at all; even when Jing Mian leaned down, most of his view was blocked by the car’s body.
But that didn’t stop her from being unable to look away.
Jing Mian lowered his gaze, seemingly listening to the person inside the driver’s seat, then his expression slightly froze, hesitating as he leaned in and said something.
In the next moment, Chen Xi suddenly saw a long, fair hand grasping Jing Mian’s wrist.
Even from a distance, she could clearly see that the hand was well-defined, broad, and beautiful, with faint veins on the back, indicating its owner was quite strong.
Chen Xi felt her heart race.
Memories from half a month ago began to surface in her mind.
On the day of the Cross-Server Competition, Jing Mian had worn a senior’s jacket when he went out, but when he returned, that jacket had been neatly folded in his pocket.
However, Jing Mian had changed into a dark jacket that clearly didn’t fit his frame, as if it had been draped over him by someone else.
That jacket left a deep impression on her.
Because her favorite idol had also worn an identical one when he picked her up at the airport that morning!
At that moment, an unbelievable premonition had crossed her mind: Jing Mian was wearing… Ren Congmian’s jacket, wasn’t he?!
But it was too absurd, and she quickly dismissed that thought.
Now, however, that memory began to merge with the present.
On the day they got drunk at the barbecue place, Jing Mian had mentioned that he had a fiancé.
At the time, everyone had been tipsy, and looking back, they all thought it was just Jing Mian’s cold humor while drunk.
But now it seemed,
the hand that had just appeared from the driver’s seat was clearly that of a man.
Moreover, that hand… Chen Xi felt like she was going crazy; the more she looked, the more it resembled Ren Congmian’s.
She couldn’t think of anyone else who had such beautiful hands.
Could it really be… Ren Congmian?
!?!?
Chen Xi felt her heart tremble.
Meanwhile, Jing Mian, whose wrist was being held, had his eyelashes fluttering, his pupils clearly showing confusion.
He was being gently pulled down, his hoodie covering the tips of his hair, his head almost touching the inside of the car window.
Chen Xi held her breath as she watched.