Perhaps at a press conference, a live broadcast of an international tournament, or maybe Ash would reveal his identity on social media.
But none of those scenarios matched the scene before him.
It was as if he had walked so far, waited for so long, that the shadow the man left behind had become an invisible pillar and a belief.
And suddenly, there was this person standing in front of him, telling him that he was Ash.
“…”
At this moment, his feelings were less of surprise, and Jing Mian didn’t know how to describe it, but more akin to being at a loss and bewildered.
The young man’s breathing hitched slightly.
He lowered his eyes, forcefully suppressing the wild beating of his heart and his astonishment, and said, “Hello.”
Mobo turned to the side, gesturing, “Why don’t we go outside and talk slowly? The restroom isn’t exactly the place.”
And so,
The three of them arrived at a guest area on the twelfth floor.
Outside, there were delicate small tables, with freshly served tea on the table. The staff were hurrying about, and no one paid attention to them.
After sitting down, Mobo took the initiative to lighten the mood, laughing, “Jing Mian, this is a rare opportunity. If you have anything you want to ask, you can chat with Ash. Don’t be shy.”
Jing Mian was taken aback.
When he raised his eyes, he happened to meet Ash’s gaze.
Jing Mian retracted his gaze, holding the warm tea in his hands, his fingertips slightly burning, and he was momentarily at a loss for words.
Logically speaking, there were too many things he wanted to ask.
What did Ash mean by Ash, was it unintentional or did it represent something? He had been so good at hiding his identity, so why was he now taking off his mask in front of him without any reservations? Why had he never participated in any international tournaments despite receiving lucrative invitations from various Teams? Wasn’t his initial goal to be a world champion?
What exactly happened when he retired from the game… No, how have you been these past few years since you retired?
Will you… ever return to Glory?
Jing Mian had too much curiosity about Ash, and so did most players who had played Glory.
But now, Jing Mian’s thin lips parted slightly, but he couldn’t utter a single word.
The atmosphere was somewhat silent for a moment.
However, Ash spoke at this moment.
The man’s voice was clear and cold, and he suddenly said, “You don’t seem very old.”
Jing Mian’s eyelashes trembled.
He said softly, “I’m already twenty years old.”
Ash: “Playing Glory full-time?”
Jing Mian replied, “Not full-time, I’m still in university.”
Ash: “Married in university?”
The young man’s heart suddenly skipped a beat, and following the other’s gaze, he looked at the ring on the ring finger of his left hand.
Jing Mian lowered his eyes, subconsciously using his other hand, his fingertips touching the ring, his thumb gently stroking the smooth surface and edges of the ring.
He said, “Yes.”
Mobo was slightly surprised, he actually admitted it just like that?
Ash’s dark eyes drooped slightly, and he asked very directly, “Why did you choose me as your Shadow Guard?”
Jing Mian was stunned.
Then, he hesitated for a moment, and said, “Because you’re the best in the entire server.”
…
Completely different from what Mobo had imagined.
At this time, with his idol right in front of him, and the opportunity handed to him on a silver platter, wouldn’t the average ardent fan have already taken the opportunity to confess his feelings?
This answer of ‘because you’re the best in the entire server,’ which couldn’t be more official, obviously surprised Mobo.
Clearly, according to the information he had, Jing Mian was quite an admirer of Ash. Even if he was a rational fan, just for the sake of obtaining a shadow, a virtual character similar to an NPC, that Ash’s retired character had become, he wouldn’t have hesitated to break through from hundreds of matches and tens of millions of players. That not only required sleepless nights, but also top-notch skills.
The hardships involved were simply unimaginable.
This level had long exceeded the scope of admiration.
It was obvious that if Ash said he wanted his heart, Jing Mian would probably give it to him without hesitation.
Liking him to this extent, Jing Mian was much calmer than he had imagined after meeting him.
It should have been Jing Mian, as the fan, asking all the questions, but in fact, so far, Ash had been the one taking the initiative to speak.
What was going on?
Mobo frowned slightly.
He pondered for a moment, then quickly put on a smile and said, “Jing Mian, how about you and Ash add each other on WeChat? That way, you can contact each other directly in the future without having to go through me.”
“…”
As soon as he finished speaking, a look of confusion appeared on Jing Mian’s face.
He had thought that the meeting would just be a simple, brief exchange between an idol and a fan. He hadn’t expected Mobo to give him the opportunity to add Ash as a friend, which clearly made Jing Mian a little at a loss.
Perhaps the esports scene was more relaxed than the entertainment industry? Or was it because he and Ash were both players, so there was no need to be cautious?
Seeing that Ash had no objections and had already taken out his phone, Jing Mian had no choice but to take out his phone a little more slowly, taking several seconds just to enter the interface.
It seemed that the young man hadn’t originally planned to do this.
Mobo teased with a smile, “What’s wrong, Jing Mian? Are you afraid your wife will check up on you?”
Jing Mian’s lips moved slightly. He thought for a moment and corrected Mobo:
“Not wife, husband.”
Then he answered, “He won’t check up on me.”
…
The two people opposite him looked over with slight surprise.
At this moment, Jing Mian’s phone suddenly rang. He looked down and saw that it was Song Yuhang.
Jing Mian stood up, “Sorry, I’ll take this call.”
Mobo: “Okay, no problem.”
Watching the young man’s figure walk away, the man named ‘Ash’ suddenly spoke, “So this is the little wife.”
The man with the mask hanging on the edge of his chin turned his gaze, his eyes somewhat dark, “No wonder Ren Xingwan hid him so well.”
Mobo leaned forward, obviously a little anxious. He propped his elbows on the table and asked, “The one calling Jing Mian at this awkward time, is probably Ren Xingwan?”
“Isn’t Ren Xingwan attending an event today?”
Mobo shook his head, worried, “Did Jing Mian tell your brother in advance that he was going to meet us?”
“And then mentioned the name Ash, arousing Ren Xingwan’s suspicion?”
The young man frowned slightly and said, “If Ren Xingwan knew that his husband was going to meet Ash, Jing Mian wouldn’t have shown up today at all.”
“But Ren Xingwan is at the event right now, which proves that Jing Mian didn’t mention it at all.”
Mobo nodded, “That’s true…”
He folded his hands together, a little impatient, “Does he believe it or not?”
“I don’t know.”
Ash turned his head slightly and said, “There’s no reason not to believe it, right?”
Mobo sighed, “If he could log into Ash’s game account in front of Jing Mian, his reaction would definitely be more excited than it is now.”
The man leaned back in his chair, his expression unchanging, “I can’t log in if I’m not the person himself. What’s the point of saying that?”
…
After Jing Mian answered the call, he found out that the professional group was asking for a reply to a notification. Because he hadn’t been looking at his phone, only he and a foreign exchange student hadn’t replied ‘received.’
That was why they had called.
Jing Mian hung up the phone and quickly opened WeChat to reply to the group chat.
Then, Jing Mian washed his hands and wiped the water droplets off with a paper towel.
When he looked up, he found that at the very top of the chat window was the new chat information with Ash.
–Showing ‘You can chat now.’
At the thought of going back, Jing Mian’s movements paused slightly.
Out of politeness, Jing Mian had added Ash as a friend. Logically speaking, Jing Mian, who had successfully obtained his idol’s contact information, would be so happy that he wouldn’t be able to find north and would be unable to suppress the excitement in his heart.
But at this moment, his mood was mixed.
Jing Mian felt that this was… a little different from what he had imagined.
For example, following the other person for countless years, fixing his gaze on one person, looking at them for too long, even if it wasn’t connected to reality, would produce a subtle, inseparable sense of familiarity.
He thought he knew the other person quite well, but after meeting him, that subtle, invisible connection completely disappeared.
Looking at Ash in reality, it was as if he was looking at a stranger.
Even Jing Mian himself didn’t know the reason.
He even began to wonder if he had really liked Ash passionately and madly.
After all, the passion had faded too quickly, and even the person involved couldn’t help but doubt his life.
He had been looking forward to this meeting for so long, and had even informed Mr. Ren in advance, but at this moment, Jing Mian had a slight desire to end it as soon as possible.
Why not go back now and say goodbye to the two of them with an excuse?
Jing Mian made up his mind, put his phone away, and returned to the rest area where he had been sitting.
Next, Jing Mian chatted with the two of them for a while. It was mostly about Glory, but occasionally it would turn to Jing Mian himself. For example, Mobo was a little curious about Jing Mian’s details and daily life at school, and where he usually lived.
Jing Mian picked some things to answer, but didn’t reveal his address.
Compared to real-life friends, there was still a barrier between the game and reality. Except for his friends at the club, Jing Mian would subconsciously avoid topics about his real-life privacy when talking to others.
As they were chatting, Jing Mian’s phone suddenly vibrated.
Suspecting that he had missed another group message, Jing Mian picked up his phone and glanced down.
–He found that it wasn’t the class group, but a message from Mr. Ren.
Jing Mian opened the chat window, and there was only one new message:
[Do you like taro mochi small dumplings?]
“…”
Jing Mian paused briefly, staring at the line of words for a few seconds.
He had a strange feeling.
Mr. Ren would actually type out such a cute-sounding food… and it was a whole six words, typed out completely and patiently.
He felt inexplicably struck.
He lowered his head and quickly typed: [I like them.]
Soon, the man replied briefly:
[Good that you like them.]
Jing Mian: “?”
Huh? That was it?
Jing Mian thought that Mr. Ren would say, “Good that you like them, I’ll make them for you when you get home tonight.”
Like last time.
However, after a long time.
Jing Mian waited and waited, but found that the other party didn’t send any more messages.
Jing Mian: “…”
Okay, he was overthinking it.
Mr. Ren seemed to just be simply investigating his taste preferences.
Jing Mian put his phone away.
Not long after, he pursed his lips. According to his previous plan, he was just about to find an excuse to leave when his phone rang again.
This time, it was an unfamiliar number.
Jing Mian answered, and a friendly and polite man’s voice came from the receiver, “Hello, is this Mr. Jing Mian?”
Jing Mian was stunned for a moment, “It is.”
“Hello, Mr. Jing. I’m Chen Ke, Brother Ren’s assistant.”
“I’m downstairs at the Glory company right now. Is it convenient for you to come down? If it’s not convenient, I can wait here. There’s no rush.”
Jing Mian was surprised and said, “It’s convenient.”
“Please wait for me for a moment.”
The phone hung up.
Jing Mian stood up, taking this opportunity to say that he had something to do and said goodbye to the two of them.
As he came down from the floor, Jing Mian couldn’t help but think, wasn’t Mr. Ren attending a brand event? How did his assistant have time to come here?
Had something happened?
The more Jing Mian thought about it, the more outrageous it felt. Fortunately, the elevators at Glory headquarters were fast, and after leaving the main entrance, the parking area wasn’t too far away.
Mr. Ren’s assistant’s car wasn’t hard to find.
After all, there was only one nanny van, and there was a thin man standing in front of the car door. When he saw Jing Mian approaching, he waved at him.
Jing Mian jogged over.
Chen Ke gave the password, “Mr. Jing?”
Jing Mian nodded, “That’s me.”
“You’re so easy to recognize!” Chen Ke smiled and quickly helped open the door, “Mr. Jing, please get in the car quickly. It’s cold outside today.”
Jing Mian recognized this nanny van. After all, he had secretly gotten in it four times already, so he got into the back seat without hesitation.
The car was still exquisitely spacious, the chairs were wide and comfortable, and there was a driver in the front.
Mr. Ren wasn’t there.
Jing Mian was a little puzzled and asked, “Did you call me here because something happened?”
Chen Ke smiled, “Please wait a moment.”
Then he leaned over and took a square box with a black, travel bag-like texture from the front seat.
Chen Ke unzipped the top layer, revealing a silver insulated layer inside.
Then, he carefully took out a small bowl from inside.
The bowl contained a food that Jing Mian didn’t recognize.
A light purple, steaming taro puree base, topped with a layer of glutinous and tempting mochi, and decorated with countless white, chewy small dumplings in the center.
The small dumplings were topped with finely crushed osmanthus petals.
Jing Mian’s pupils trembled slightly.
Chen Ke also took a small spoon and handed it to Jing Mian, “Mr. Jing, there’s actually nothing wrong. It’s just that this tastes better when it’s hot, so I called you down.”
“You can go back after you finish eating.”
Jing Mian’s Adam’s apple moved and said, “It’s okay, I’ve already taken care of things.”
Chen Ke: “That’s great. We’ll take you back on the way later.”
Jing Mian held the steaming bowl and asked, “Did Mr. Ren send it?”
“Yes, taro mochi small dumplings.” Chen Ke said with a smile, “They were originally only available at a dessert shop in Suzhou, but today’s desserts from the brand included this. I asked casually and found out that there was a chef from Suzhou.”
“This tastes best when it’s hot, so I quickly brought it to you.”
The young man listened in surprise. No wonder the man had sent him a WeChat message just now, and it was something that couldn’t be eaten in Lin City.
Jing Mian understood.
Mr. Ren was giving him special treatment again.
Jing Mian lowered his head, took a small spoonful with the spoon, and put it in his mouth. The taste was soft and glutinous, and the aroma was fragrant.
It was sweet but not greasy, and indescribably delicious.
Because it was a little hot, it seemed that it had just been taken out of the pot and sent over, so it didn’t affect the taste at all.
Jing Mian ate while thinking.
Mr. Ren… was really treating him like a child.
Jing Mian finished a bowl, wiped his mouth, and felt a little unsatisfied.
Then, Chen Ke took another bowl from the insulated box in front of him.
Jing Mian: “?!”
He asked, “Did you bring more than one bowl?”
Chen Ke smiled, “More than one bowl.”
“Brother Ren’s intention was probably that even if Mr. Jing said he didn’t like to eat it, he would bring a bowl over first to try it and give Mr. Jing a chance to change his mind.”
Jing Mian looked surprised.
The small bowl wasn’t big, and two bowls were just the right amount. After Jing Mian ate them, he felt warm and comfortable in his stomach, indescribably comfortable.
Chen Ke said, “Brother Ren’s event is probably about to end, maybe even earlier than us.”
Jing Mian nodded.
If Mr. Ren’s event was over, it meant that Chen Ke didn’t have to rush back, so he relaxed and let the driver take him back.
The journey wasn’t far. Maple Leaf was about a twenty-minute drive from the Glory company.
When entering the residential area, because he had registered before, and because the security guard recognized Mr. Jing in the back seat, he was allowed to pass directly.
Chen Ke turned his head slightly, looking at the quiet Jing Mian.
The damn curiosity in his heart gradually expanded.
So Brother Ren’s husband was so beautiful!! No wonder he never showed his face and never revealed it to anyone outside.
He looked like he was still a university student?
Chen Ke thought to himself, Brother Ren was actually robbing the cradle.
This was obviously a child.
He had something to do and didn’t go to the engagement banquet at that time. Yu Nian went, but that kid didn’t reveal anything to him at all. He was too unkind.
So, this was Brother Ren’s lover.
In other words, the tie that Brother Ren wore in the morning was tied by this young man.
Chen Ke coughed lightly. After taking the person to his destination, he couldn’t help but open his mouth and say, “That… Mr. Jing, Brother Ren’s tie this morning, was it you…”
As soon as he finished speaking, Chen Ke found that Jing Mian was obviously stunned. After a few seconds, his ears turned red visibly.
Chen Ke confirmed it.
It was Mr. Jing.
Jing Mian pursed his lips and asked tremblingly, “Didn’t Mr. Ren retie it himself before going to the event?”
Chen Ke shook his head, “No.”
Jing Mian: “…”
Could he run away from Earth with Mr. Ren?
In fact, when he tied his own tie, the result was quite normal, but tying it for someone else became another concept.
Chen Ke held back his laughter and said, “Mr. Jing, you actually tied it fine, it’s just that there’s one step in the middle that you left too long, so the final product will have an extra section.”
Jing Mian immediately perked up and asked, “Which step is it?”
Chen Ke took off the one on his neck, pinched it with his hand, and demonstrated it to Jing Mian in the air.
Jing Mian took it.
Relying on his memory, he hesitantly repeated the steps to Chen Ke.
“That’s right.” Chen Ke handed the coat to the young man, opened the door while saying, and sent Jing Mian out of the car, “As expected of Mr. Jing, you learn so quickly.”
Jing Mian was secretly embarrassed and said truthfully, “It’s not that I learn quickly, it’s just that I didn’t see the difference, because the steps are similar to what I remember.”
Chen Ke smiled, “It’s okay, Mr. Jing. Why don’t you try it on me? Anyway, I have nothing to do, just treat it as practice for you.”
Jing Mian nodded, “Thank you, Brother Chen.”
Jing Mian pondered, took the tie, found the starting position, and practiced it while listening to Chen Ke’s detailed explanation.
This time, although there was still a small section left, it was obviously half as short.
Seeing the dawn of success, Jing Mian was overjoyed, untied it again, and tied it again.
The assistant was very patient, had a good personality, and comforted Jing Mian that it was okay. When they graduated from college and started looking for jobs, they didn’t understand how to wear formal clothes at first, and Jing Mian had already learned faster than them.
Jing Mian held the tie in one hand, pressed his fingertips against the knot, and pushed it up.
This time, there was no extra fabric below the tie.
“…”
While Jing Mian was happy,
Not far away, he suddenly heard the sound of footsteps approaching from far away but stopping abruptly.