“Moreover, what if we do meet him?” Mobo said. “How can he deny that you’re Ash? Even if it’s risky, we can send someone to monitor him, see if he’s met anyone outside, and who might be Ash.”
“We can find Ash, make an offer, and have him sell his account to us.”
“No one turns down money,” Mobo said gravely. “If you can log into Ash’s account by then, all the obstacles we’re facing now will be resolved.”
“Speaking of which, Ash might have logged in because of Jing Mian, but that doesn’t mean he knows Jing Mian in real life.”
Mobo analyzed, “If you can’t confirm it, then starting tomorrow is the day Jing Mian and his Team will participate in the provincial competition. Unlike the Cross-Server Competition, this level of event will definitely have pre-match interviews.”
“Jing Mian will be Me.’s interview candidate, especially after what happened the night before, and most importantly, being involved with Ash, it will undoubtedly become a hot topic for the interview.”
“Won’t there be reporters asking if they’re friends in real life?”
Mobo said, “By then, your doubts will be answered, and you won’t have to go through all this trouble to investigate.”
Mobo grasped Ren Changgong’s shoulder. “Changgong, calm down.”
“Your older brother would be furious if he saw you like this.”
At the mention of his older brother, Ren Changgong’s face involuntarily stiffened.
…Even though they were full brothers, Ren Changgong couldn’t help but feel a sense of dread and fear towards his older brother, Ren Changsong.
Unlike his own approach, Ren Changsong was far more ruthless and cruel, almost to the point of being terrifying. The idea of brotherly love and respect was nothing but a fantasy when it came to them.
Back then, in order to eliminate the rapidly rising Ren Xingwan… it almost cost someone their life.
Now, the tables have turned, and Ren Xingwan has become the head of the vast and powerful Ren family, a man whose word is law, someone even their father fears.
And the one in the wheelchair has become his older brother.
Ren Changgong calmed down a bit.
Being too hasty wouldn’t do him any good. If he couldn’t shake Ren Xingwan, he would have to target the apple of his eye.
But Ren Xingwan kept a tight watch on Jing Mian, and so far, there had been no opportunity to act.
What he and Mobo had planned was to make Jing Mian betray Ren Xingwan, causing his family to collapse from within.
Only a knife to the heart would truly hurt. Even if the plan failed, seeing Ren Xingwan lose control would be a sweet revenge, something he looked forward to.
However, as if he had thought of something, Ren Changgong suddenly looked up and asked Mobo, “Didn’t you say tomorrow is the provincial competition for Glory? Why are you still standing here?”
“…” Mobo sighed helplessly. “I came to talk you down.”
“I’m a veteran of the Team, and I usually only appear in national competitions. If they don’t lose in the first round of this level of competition, it’s not my turn yet.”
As he spoke, Mobo slowly sat back on the sofa, his expression turning troubled as he sighed. “Besides, I’ve been having a lot of bad luck lately.”
Ren Changgong raised an eyebrow. “How so?”
“There’s a kid named Sleepy.”
“Eighteen years old, I heard he just graduated from university not long ago.” Mobo seemed to recall something exasperating, clicking his tongue as he said, “Suddenly one day, he started spamming me with private messages.”
“The content was pretty much the same, mostly insults and provocations in various languages.”
Ren Changgong: “…”
Ren Changgong: “Why are you telling me this?”
Mobo: “Let me finish…”
Ren Changgong: “Besides, in that game of yours, you’re already at the top, right? You must get countless private messages every day. You never used to check your inbox, so why did you see his?”
Mobo said, “Because he paid to pin his message at the top of my inbox.”
Ren Changgong was puzzled: “And then?”
“At first, I didn’t pay much attention. Even if I saw it, I ignored it. I’m not foolish enough to respond to such an extreme anti-fan player.” Mobo lowered his gaze, biting his cigarette as he slowly lit it. “Until the next day, I suddenly received a PK invitation.”
“You might not know, but this kind of PK is like the one Ash sent to Greek tonight—formal and grand, like a challenge letter. It also gets displayed on the world channel, so all players in Glory can see it.”
“Because he had been spamming me frequently in the past few days, his words were infuriating and arrogant, so his ID left a deep impression on me. I had been holding back my anger, and this time he publicly came knocking. Without much thought, I accepted.”
“I thought he was just an ordinary player.” Mobo exhaled a thin wisp of smoke. The servant nearby began to bend down, silently cleaning up the mess on the floor. The man continued, “But then, he actually won.”
“His ranking shot up above mine, and I lost fifty million experience points.”
Ren Changgong was somewhat surprised: “A newcomer? Better than you?”
“What’s his background?”
“That’s the issue.”
Mobo said, “I clicked into his profile and found out he’s a fan of Jing Mian.”
“And he’s the top fan.”
Ren Changgong’s face showed astonishment.
“I asked Glory headquarters to check the identity behind the ID.” Mobo spoke slowly, “But I found that all his personal information was well-protected.”
“In the end, I couldn’t even find out his name.”
“…It was as if someone had deliberately done that.”
“The last time we encountered something like this was when we tried to investigate Ash’s identity at Glory headquarters, but we came up empty-handed then too.”
Mobo furrowed his brow and said, “That’s what I find strange. Why would the identity of some insignificant brat be hidden and protected? It’s too unusual.”
“I’m not sure if there’s someone behind him, but later he joined the Me. club. On the surface, it seemed like he was just chasing fame, following in Jing Mian’s footsteps, which made me think I might be overcomplicating things.”
Ren Changgong frowned as he listened, saying, “It is indeed a bit strange.”
“Keep an eye on him. See if he’s really a student.”
“And if there’s someone behind him.”
Mobo nodded: “Alright.”
Jing Mian arrived in M City with his team.
Compared to Lincheng, the temperature in M City was slightly lower.
So Jing Mian had packed some thicker winter clothes in his suitcase, and his shoes were padded with soft insoles, probably added by his husband.
When Jing Mian boarded the bus that picked them up, his stomach was still warm and content.
After all, on the high-speed train, instead of instant noodles, Jing Mian had enjoyed the lunch prepared by Mr. Ren.
—Aside from the rice sprinkled with black sesame seeds, there were stir-fried shrimp, green broccoli as a side dish, a second compartment filled with tomato beef brisket in rich broth, and even a small bowl of fresh and delicious mushroom soup, along with a small box of cut fruit.
Jing Mian was both surprised and deeply appreciative as he finished every bite.
This left his teammates envious, and even some staunch bachelors suddenly felt that marriage might not be such a bad choice after all.
Of course… the prerequisite was finding a husband like that.
M City boasted a larger, more luxurious esports arena and exhibition hall, so not only did it host provincial-level competitions, but occasionally national tournaments as well.
This was also the first time Jing Mian, as an official Team member, traveled to another province to participate in a formal competition.
They would encounter more renowned Teams than before, such as Greek, who was now a starting player. Despite the turmoil from the previous night, Jing Mian would have to face Greek frequently over the next few days.
Although he anticipated the awkwardness, surprisingly, Jing Mian felt no inner turmoil.
Perhaps in the past, he had been alone, but now, he had the backing of his club and Team. Even if he had to face hostility, Jing Mian wouldn’t shy away from the upcoming matches. Instead, he would focus all the more intently for the sake of his Team.
Unlike the previous Cross-Server Competition, this provincial-level tournament was more formal, with numerous interviews arranged before the matches.
As usual, Jing Mian wore his mask, donned his Team uniform, and habitually pulled up his hoodie, revealing only his long lashes and gentle, well-defined eyes.
Since Li Shengwen had mentioned in a post that he had witnessed Sheep’s unmasked appearance and had almost explicitly hinted that the face beneath the mask would be a disappointment, there wasn’t much anticipation or excitement about Sheep’s real appearance during this provincial competition. Instead, there was more speculation and pessimism.
Many players watched the pre-match interviews in real-time, and the barrage of comments began to flood in:
【Is he really that insecure? Even if he’s ugly, he should show his face.】
【It’s okay, Sheep, I still love your voice.】
【I’m unfollowing. I’m a hardcore looks person, and ever since I found out MianMian isn’t good-looking, I can’t even bring myself to use that nickname anymore.】
【The person above is ridiculous. If you’re a looks person, just leave quietly.】
【Exactly, if you’re unfollowing, do it quietly. No need to make a scene.】
【I really didn’t expect so many people to believe what Li Shengwen said. It’s clear that the whole thing about seducing Greek was fabricated by Li Shengwen, and it was already debunked. Why are you all believing him again on this matter?】
【Tsk, you don’t get it. That incident could be verified, which is why there was such a big reversal. But when it comes to looks, as long as Sheep never shows his face, it can never be confirmed… so it’s inevitable that people will speculate.】
【Don’t act all high and mighty about valuing looks, okay?】
……
The reporter raised the microphone and handed it to Jing Mian, asking with a smile, “Sheep, are you feeling a bit nervous this time?”
Jing Mian nodded. “A little.”
The reporter smiled and asked a few questions before subtly steering the conversation toward the main topic: “Last night, something exciting happened in Glory that thrilled the players. The legendary player Ash, who had been away from the game for five years, actually logged back in.”
“I believe you, Sheep, witnessed the entire event. I’d like to ask, how did you feel about that PK match?”
Song Xianyang pursed his lips and said, “What’s there to ask? MianMian was just as shocked as you all.”
The reporter awkwardly replied, “Indeed, we were all shocked…”
Then, raising the microphone again, he asked, “Are Sheep and Ash friends in real life? This time, when Ash initiated the PK, netizens speculated that the reason might have been because of you.”
Jing Mian answered truthfully, “We’re not friends.”
The reporter: “?”
The reporter: “Oh, I see. Did you know each other before?”
Jing Mian shook his head, “No, we didn’t.”
The reporter: “?”
Now it was the reporter’s turn to be confused.
So, Ash purely… stood up for a stranger?
Seeing that this topic was going nowhere, the reporter quietly switched to another subject: “Sheep, not long ago, you publicly revealed your marital status during a livestream, and your spouse is male. Is he also an esports player?”
Jing Mian’s Adam’s apple moved slightly as he replied, “No, he doesn’t play games.”
The reporter chuckled and suddenly said, “I’m a gaming zone reporter from X Station. Recently, our site launched a CP editing event, and your pairing with a certain celebrity quietly gained popularity. It’s currently ranked third in the event. Have you heard about it, Sheep?”
Jing Mian: “…”
The young man’s gaze noticeably wavered for a moment.
Chen Xi, holding her breath, quickly interrupted, “He hasn’t heard of it!”
Noticing the surprised looks from everyone, Chen Xi slightly held her breath and coughed lightly, “Besides, this has nothing to do with the provincial competition, right?”
Song Xianyang chimed in, “Exactly, and didn’t you know MianMian is already married?”
The reporter was sweating now, “Alright, my apologies.”
“We’ll contact the video creator later and ask her to take it down.”
Song Xianyang raised an eyebrow, “Why not now? Why wait?”
The reporter thought to himself, it seems the rumor about Sleepy being the top fan and die-hard supporter is true. They’re protecting him so tightly that we can’t get any juicy details.
So, he had no choice but to privately message the content creator named “xixixi” in front of everyone.
Just as he sent the first message.
Chen Xi’s phone chimed with a notification.
The sound was soft, and only Jing Mian, sitting beside her, heard it.
Jing Mian: “?”
Then, the reporter edited and sent a second message.
Almost simultaneously, Chen Xi’s phone chimed again!
Jing Mian: “?”
Now it was Chen Xi’s turn to sweat.
At that moment, Xuan Cheng, who had just finished drawing lots, passed by. He glanced down and, as if joining in the fun, looked at the reporter’s phone. Then, he seemed to notice something, “Chen Xi, this ID looks just like the one you usually use, both are ‘xixixi.'”
Chen Xi: “…”
At this point, she locked eyes with Jing Mian beside her.
The reporter moved on to the next topic, extending the microphone to Song Xianyang and asking about the thrilling PK match he had with Mobo not long ago. Song Xianyang, being young and cheerful, quickly heated up the atmosphere.
However, the area not far from Song Xianyang seemed a bit awkward and silent.
The two of them sat in silence for a while.
Jing Mian was the first to break the silence, “Well, Ren and I…”
Chen Xi lowered her head: “I… I know.”
Jing Mian: “That video…”
Chen Xi: “I was the one who posted it.”
Jing Mian: “Could you…”
Chen Xi: “I’ll keep it confidential.”
Jing Mian whispered, “Thank you.”
Chen Xi spoke from the heart, “No, I should be the one thanking you.”
The hotel provided for the Team was quite nice.
The restaurant was on the second floor. After dinner, the members returned to their respective rooms to rest and recharge.
Jing Mian and Song Xianyang were assigned to the same room.
Song Xianyang smiled and said, “Brother MianMian, I’m a great roommate. I never make noise when I sleep.”
Jing Mian couldn’t help but laugh, “That’s indeed very good.”
After Jing Mian took a shower in the bathroom, dried his hair, and shook off his fatigue, he opened his laptop, worked on some assignments for a while, uploaded his homework to the professor’s email, and then turned on the TV, idly watching some movie advertisements interspersed with films.
Finally, late at night arrived.
The lights in the room went out. Jing Mian turned over slightly, and soon, the steady sound of Song Xianyang’s breathing filled the room.
Ten minutes later, accompanied by the deafening sound of snoring not far away, it echoed throughout the room.
Jing Mian: “…”
Jing Mian stared at the somewhat distant ceiling, questioning his life.
So much for being a great roommate, huh? orz
Jing Mian quietly got out of bed, found earplugs in the bedside drawer, and put them on.
When he lay back down, the surroundings fell into a somewhat dazed silence.
Somehow, after entering absolute silence, Jing Mian closed his eyes, found a comfortable position, but still couldn’t fall asleep for the next half hour.
…He was actually suffering from insomnia.
Jing Mian was a bit puzzled.
After all, he hadn’t experienced insomnia in the past month.
This kind of situation had happened before, but Jing Mian realized it probably dated back to a long time ago, before he married Mr. Ren… or even before they lived together.
Since he wasn’t disturbed by the snoring, the environment was comfortable, and he didn’t have the habit of being particular about beds, there was only one possibility left…
Could it be…
Because of Mr. Ren?
Jing Mian turned over again, and this time, he couldn’t sleep even more.
Come to think of it, ever since he started living with Mr. Ren, his sleep quality had inexplicably improved.
Sometimes, even if he had things on his mind, he would fall into a deep sleep within three minutes of closing his eyes, as if he had never struggled with sleep before.
Jing Mian suspected it had something to do with the familiar scent of Mr. Ren.
It seemed to overlap with the scent he had relied on during his childhood, giving him an inexplicable sense of security.
Even though they hadn’t been married for long, he had already developed a sense of dependence.
He couldn’t even remember how he had managed without Mr. Ren before.
But now, after just one night away, his old problem had resurfaced.
Jing Mian pursed his lips and suddenly wanted to hear Mr. Ren’s voice.
The thought was a bit absurd. Jing Mian glanced at his watch: 10:40 PM.
Mr. Ren was probably already asleep.
Suppressing the urge to call, Jing Mian silently turned over, facing the moon outside the window.
Bathed in the moonlight,
Jing Mian and the moon stayed awake together.
Five minutes later.
Jing Mian picked up his phone, which was charging on the bedside table.
Mr. Ren’s number wasn’t hard to find. They had spoken just before he got off the high-speed train, and it was the first entry in his call log.
Jing Mian hesitated for two seconds with his fingertip, but ultimately chose to dial.
The screen jumped, and the blank void waiting for the mechanical voice stretched the present moment infinitely.
But soon, Jing Mian heard:
[Hello, the number you have dialed is currently on another call. Please try again later.]
[You may choose to wait or hang up…]
Jing Mian was slightly stunned.
He ended the call and lay back down on the bed.
At this hour… who was Mr. Ren talking to?
It was close to midnight, so it was unlikely to be work-related. Jing Mian guessed it was probably a personal call.
However, given the man’s personality, Jing Mian found it hard to imagine who would make his husband indulge in a leisurely conversation so late at night.
Never mind.
Jing Mian decided that even if he couldn’t sleep, he wouldn’t disturb Mr. Ren.
But just as he put down his phone, Jing Mian suddenly realized that in such a situation, even if his call hadn’t gone through, Mr. Ren’s phone would still show that there had been an incoming call.
Jing Mian: “…!”
Tossing and turning, it seemed he would need to call Mr. Ren back later. If the man asked for a reason, he would just make up some trivial excuse.
However, a few seconds later.
The phone screen suddenly lit up, displaying an incoming call from ‘Mr. Ren.’
His heart inexplicably tightened, and Jing Mian instinctively reached out to answer.
“Mr. Ren?”
Although the call timer was ticking, he didn’t hear the man’s voice.
“…”
Jing Mian realized and took out the earbud from his left ear.
“Mr. Ren.”
Jing Mian’s Adam’s apple moved slightly as he whispered, “I dialed the wrong number earlier… sorry for disturbing you.”
At some point, the snoring nearby had quieted down to a very low decibel, and the once noisy space now felt serene and slow.
“…I won’t disturb you.”
Ren Xingwan’s voice came through the receiver, resonating slightly in the quiet, still room:
“Husband was just about to call you.”