By Zephyria 
Mr. Ren… wanted to examine it for him.
This thought surfaced in the young man’s mind, so the words of refusal that had instinctively come to his throat were stifled. His eyelashes trembled slightly, and in this extremely close proximity, as if bewitched.
Jing Mian parted his lips slightly.
He averted his gaze, his eyes not meeting the man’s.
Until his chin was gently pinched by fingertips, the touch cool, successfully snapping Jing Mian out of his reluctance to make eye contact.
The pressure was light, yet it made him tilt his head up slightly in response.
His lips and tongue, along with the faint glisten of moisture, fell into the other’s line of sight.
He could see Mr. Ren’s eyelashes, long, slightly curled, casting delicate shadows when lowered, each strand distinct.
Then, Jing Mian shivered.
A slender fingertip seemed to probe inside.
Jing Mian let out a soft “mm,” instinctively retreating slightly. As his lips closed, his tongue inadvertently brushed against the man’s fingertip.
And that was indeed what happened.
Because under the moonlight, he saw Mr. Ren’s index finger glistening with his own wetness.
Jing Mian’s face flushed red all the way to the tips of his ears.
Mr. Ren’s expression remained unchanged. He merely rubbed his thumb against his index finger, wiping away the moisture, and said, “I washed my hands.”
Jing Mian’s heart pounded wildly as he stammered, “That… that wasn’t the issue…”
“It seems to be a wisdom tooth.”
Jing Mian: “?”
Seemingly dazed for a few seconds, Jing Mian asked blankly, “Can someone my age still grow wisdom teeth?”
“Nineteen is a normal age for wisdom teeth to emerge.”
…
“Not nineteen.” Jing Mian pressed his lips together, refuting weakly, “…In three months, I’ll be twenty.”
Perhaps it was Jing Mian’s imagination, but the corner of Mr. Ren’s lips seemed to quirk up slightly. Then, he heard the man amend his words accordingly: “Twenty is a normal age for wisdom teeth.”
Jing Mian fell silent.
He asked, “Husband, did you grow them too?”
Ren Xingwan: “No.”
Jing Mian asked casually, “Then will you grow them later?”
As soon as the words left his mouth, Jing Mian suddenly remembered that the likelihood of wisdom teeth emerging past the age of twenty-five was negligible.
The young man quietly shut his mouth.
Unlike him, his husband was already past the age for wisdom teeth.
Then, he heard the man’s cool, slightly deep voice:
“What is our little one thinking about?”
Jing Mian stiffened.
Being suddenly called “little one” made it clear his thoughts had been noticed. His Adam’s apple bobbed as he muttered, “…Nothing.”
The backpack was taken off by the man, and Jing Mian felt lighter as he watched Mr. Ren, who didn’t press further, instead reaching past him to open the passenger door.
Relieved, Jing Mian got into the passenger seat and fastened his seatbelt. Glancing at Ren Xingwan settling in beside him, he asked, “Are we going home now?”
“No.”
The man started the car and said calmly, “To see a doctor.”
At this hour, most private dental clinics were already closed, and public hospitals would likely require an emergency dental visit. Though the pain was unbearable, Jing Mian still felt it was a bit excessive. Yet here was Mr. Ren, driving him around the city at night, all because of a wisdom tooth.
Jing Mian followed obediently without realizing it.
In the end, they were received by a doctor who seemed acquainted with Mr. Ren.
After a brief examination, the doctor asked the young man, “Do you brush your teeth regularly?”
Jing Mian nodded. “Yes.”
After a pause, he asked, “Will it affect my matches?”
The doctor said, “It’s not certain.”
He explained, “It’s a wisdom tooth growing in.”
“This pain could be from inflammation, but it could also be from the wisdom tooth pressing against the surrounding teeth.” The doctor put down the mirror and said, “Mr. Jing’s tooth is quite deep. If you want to remove it, besides taking an X-ray to assess the situation, you might need to be hospitalized.”
The young man suddenly looked up.
As he turned to his husband, his hand reached out and grasped the man’s fingertips: “There’s a match the night after tomorrow.”
It was an unconscious and instinctive gesture.
Ren Xingwan’s gaze subtly withdrew from that pale, slender hand, his fingers curling around the touch until they couldn’t pull away: “If the pain is unbearable, how will you compete?”
Jing Mian was momentarily speechless.
He lowered his eyes and murmured, “…It’s not unbearable.”
The doctor picked up some tools and ointment, smiling as he said, “I can help reduce the inflammation first, which should alleviate some of the pain.”
“If you can’t be hospitalized soon, you can buy a small bottle of toothache drops from the pharmacy.” The man added, “When it flares up, pour a little onto a cotton ball and bite down on the painful area. It should help.”
Jing Mian thought this method was feasible.
After buying the toothache drops with Mr. Ren, Jing Mian guessed the doctor’s ointment must have worked, as the pain had noticeably lessened that night. Even when he fell asleep, his brows unconsciously relaxed.
Jing Mian changed into his Team uniform early in the waiting room.
The arena was brightly lit, bathed in light as if it were daytime.
Jing Mian looked down to reply to Mr. Ren’s message, then found a cotton ball in his bag, poured some drops onto it, and silently bit down, only removing it before entering the arena.
Before taking his seat, Red Hair nudged Song Xianyang with his elbow: “Look.”
“At what?” Song Xianyang followed his gaze.
On the other side of the player area, the QT Team members had already taken their seats.
Even without knowing who the captain was, one figure stood out among the five. Dawn sat there in a deep blue Team jersey, the QT logo elegantly engraved on it. He lifted his gaze, his lips thin and his expression not sharp but rather gentle.
However, as the ME. members appeared, Dawn’s gaze gradually fixed. It seemed to land on Jing Mian’s side.
Song Xianyang was stunned and said in surprise, “Dawn in real life is this good-looking?”
Red Hair: “You just found out? QT often trends because of this, with people calling their captain ‘the most handsome esports player in recent years.'”
“Wasn’t it Shock before?”
“Hence, ‘in recent years.'”
Song Xianyang frowned, unconvinced: “Isn’t Brother Mianmian the best-looking player in recent years?”
He Jing shrugged: “Only we know how good-looking he is. It can’t be helped, Mianmian always streams with a mask on, never showing his face.” Lowering his voice, Red Hair added, “And don’t you think… Dawn looks a bit like a celebrity?”
Song Xianyang gulped: “You don’t mean…”
“Yeah, Teacher Ren!”
Red Hair chuckled and nudged Song Xianyang with his elbow: “Mianmian’s husband, don’t you think they look a bit alike?”
…
Song Xianyang didn’t respond.
He silently thought that rather than resembling President Ren, Dawn looked more like… Mr. Ren from the past.
When a man sheds his imposing, coldly handsome aura and tempers his sharp edges, he reverts to his youthful self from years past, an undeniably elegant and gentle ruler with a quiet beauty.
Strictly speaking, Dawn resembled Ren Xingwan from that time the most.
Song Xianyang swallowed slightly.
If that were truly the case…
Not far away, the commentators’ voices rang out clear and impassioned:
“Good evening, viewers! You’re now watching the live broadcast of Glory’s national tournament. Coming up next is the quarterfinal showdown between Team ME. and Team QT.”
“We believe everyone has been eagerly anticipating this match.”
“Indeed. Based on the current standings of both teams, the winner of this match will advance directly to the semifinals. For Team ME., a victory here means immediate qualification. If they narrowly lose, they’ll compete against Team EOM tomorrow night for the last semifinal spot.”
“As for QT, their last match was against AUB., last year’s national champions of Glory, and AUB emerged victorious. This means QT must win today’s match to secure their semifinal ticket.”
“This is a battle of fate.”
“Let’s look forward to the players’ spectacular performances!”
Only one minute remained until the match began.
The live viewership was skyrocketing at a visible pace:
[“Sheep, go for it!! I bet 5,000 Glory coins on ME.”]
[“Big Bro upstairs, show me your power by sending me 50.”]
[“That guy who bet 4,000 Glory coins on ME. last time is now decked out in top-tier gear.”]
[“Ugh, I’m so jealous.”]
[“Sheep’s performance in recent matches has been rock-solid, as we’ve all seen. Even without Ash’s Shadow Guard protection, he’s a top contender for the national championship.”]
[“Don’t believe it. I’m shallow, I stan Dawn.”]
The moment he entered the Glory interface, Jing Mian’s vision shifted from dim to bright, and he held his breath slightly.
Not for any particular reason, except…
It was overwhelmingly bright.
So much so that it was almost blinding. The reflections overlapped, shimmering with scattered light spots mixed with faint blue dust. The team members had just awakened at the starting point and hadn’t moved yet, but they could already see countless identical copies of themselves in the distance.
In an instant, Jing Mian realized which map they had been matched to.
—The Maze Map.
A labyrinth made entirely of mirrors.
This map had always been ranked among Glory’s five-star difficulty levels, not only because of its complex and hard-to-navigate terrain but also due to its unique mechanics.
As players groped their way forward, they would not only see their reflections in the surrounding mirrors but often expose their positions by mistakenly shattering them.
In national tournaments, the system typically redesigned the maze layout, forcing even the most seasoned players to start from scratch. Thus, it tested both skill and reflexes to the extreme.
Jing Mian’s Adam’s apple bobbed slightly, he was nervous.
The faint ache in his teeth sharpened his senses, keeping him hyper-aware.
This map had no room for emotion or tricks, only absolute focus.
Jing Mian maneuvered his character, lightening his footsteps. As he turned a corner and picked up an MK23, he was about to take a right when he collided with a mirror.
This map is somewhat special; whenever a player takes a wrong turn and crashes into a mirror, the system automatically emits a “boop” collision sound effect.
It adds a touch of embarrassment and humiliation for the player.
【When others crash into mirrors, I remain expressionless and even laugh loudly; when MianMian crashes into a mirror, I: Quickly let Mama rub it!】
【Hahaha, this perfectly describes my feelings.】
【+1】
【!? I’m not alone after all.】
【So obedient and heart-wrenching.】
Jing Mian silently stepped back, this time moving more cautiously.
However, as he approached the third turn, he suddenly heard a loud gunshot.
—It rang almost right next to his ear.
But when Jing Mian shifted his view, he found himself alone, with only his own figure holding a gun in a defensive stance.
The gunshot quickly faded, and the surroundings fell into silence.
Jing Mian pressed his lips together, suddenly raised his hand, and without hesitation, pulled the trigger at a mirror reflecting his own figure.
A silent and brief “bang.”
Then came the second shot.
The third shot.
The mirror shattered in response.
Dust slowly rose, revealing another world behind the mirror, along with an enemy who had already been shot and collapsed to the ground.
Jing Mian lowered his gaze and shot again without hesitation.
At that moment, the system emitted a notification sound:
「“ME.Sheep” used MK23 to kill “QT.Full”!」
……
【Second time!! First kill of the match.】
【One shot locked, one shot shattered the mirror, one shot knocked down.】
【So damn cool.】
【I didn’t even see what happened.】
【So curious, how did Sheep know the other party wasn’t a teammate?】
【Probably because none of the ME. members have fired until now; that damn level of tacit understanding.】
【This batch of new players is truly impressive.】
In the fourth minute after that,
the system issued another notification sound:
「“QT.Dawn” used Sl8 to kill “ME.Mole”!」
The scene suddenly became a bit quiet.
Everyone was shocked.
It was actually Mole?
After all, Mole was a veteran mainstay of ME. Even though the competition was unpredictable, it was still the first time Cen Xian had been eliminated so early in the first half due to a misjudgment.
Perhaps Dawn’s strength really shouldn’t be underestimated.
Jing Mian suppressed his surprise and quietly picked up the gun.
At the same time, he noticed that the pain relief from the dental medication might be wearing off. In the past, he could hold on for several hours, but now, the vague pain was becoming increasingly apparent.
As the match progressed, the number of enemies and teammates dwindled.
In the end, only he and Song Xianyang remained.
And across from them, Dawn.
With the system’s loud notification sound, 「Dawn was knocked down!」,
only Sheep and Dawn were left in this match.
In the back seat of a high-end black minivan driving along,
Manager Yang Fan, drawn in by the match, couldn’t help but murmur, “Today’s match is really intense.”
The tall man in a suit beside him remained silent, watching without speaking.
Manager Yang paused for a moment and quietly added, “Mr. Jing performed really well.”
Two seconds later.
Ren Xingwan softly opened his mouth: “Yes.”
Manager Yang: “…”
See that?
Compliments must be given at the tip of the heart.
Since live-streaming bullet comments were a standard feature in the national Glory tournament and didn’t interfere with the broadcast, the system defaulted to having them enabled, and no one had bothered to turn them off.
Dawn’s in-game character moved slowly and quietly through the maze.
The terrain was complex, and with both players having equal kill counts, the red door could appear anywhere, even before they encountered each other.
But as Dawn walked, he suddenly stopped.
He fired a shot at the mirror before him, instantly covering its surface with cracks.
Like a stone dropping into water.
The loud gunshot immediately drew everyone’s attention.
Within the map, the surroundings grew quieter than ever before.
Only faint blue dust drifted down.
The bullet comments surged endlessly:
[Why do I feel like… Dawn is trying to lure MianMian out?]
[Same thought here!!]
[Yeah, longtime Dawn viewers know his maze strategy is always super cautious, hiding footsteps, leaving no trace until the red door appears at the last moment. His win rate with this playstyle is insane.]
[Tsk tsk, why the sudden change?]
Sheep also halted.
He aimed his gun toward the nine o’clock direction but paused instinctively.
More than just a mirror separated them.
Jing Mian silently calculated the gunshot’s origin. Firing now wouldn’t pinpoint Dawn’s exact location, it would only expose himself.
Both players had made it this far in the tournament; neither would recklessly shoot at their own shadow.
Dawn was baiting him out.
Jing Mian bit down, the faint sting spreading through his mouth. At least it kept him razor-sharp.
[Remember when they played this map together? Dawn personally taught Sheep how to gauge positions, when to shoot, when to hide.]
[“I evade your pursuit, recalling every lesson you taught me.”]
[Damn, this hits different.]
[What’s going on with Dawn and Sheep? If there’s something, I’m shipping it.]
[Reply to above: Get better taste. Ash×Sheep is right there.]
[…Sheep fans really need to wake up. That guy’s a ghost, never shows his face, yet you treat him like some CP treasure? Dawn’s looks hold up even under HD cameras. Isn’t it embarrassing to force a pairing?]
[Sheep’s been streaming for nearly two years and still hasn’t done a single “remove the mask” fan reward.]
[Those who know, know.]
[Above commenter: Proud of attacking looks? If Sheep relied on his face, he wouldn’t even be in this tournament.]
Sheep spun around and sprinted in the opposite direction.
The unmistakable footsteps made Dawn freeze momentarily.
The man’s lashes lifted slightly as his gaze locked onto a direction, he gave chase instantly.
As he ran, Sheep fired at every corner mirror he passed.
With the final shattering echo, Sheep’s footsteps ceased entirely. Silence reclaimed the maze.
In an instant, all sound vanished.
From Dawn’s perspective, only a trail of destruction remained.
“……”
Dawn, too, stopped in place.
The earpiece no longer carried Sheep’s footsteps. Despite his swift and decisive pursuit, he couldn’t catch even a glimpse of the other’s figure. He had completely lost his target, it was as if he’d laid a net only to become the trapped prey himself.
This was no sheep.
Clearly, it was a cunning little fox toying with the hunter.
The moment Dawn’s faint footsteps sounded, Jing Mian swiftly raised his gun, aiming at the mirror before him.
But before he could pull the trigger, the system suddenly blared an ear-splitting announcement:
“The Red Door has appeared. All surviving players, proceed to the safe zone immediately!”
On the mini-map, the Red Door’s location pulsed with a glaring halo, startlingly close, just two mirrors away.
Jing Mian weighed his options in a split second, then turned and sprinted toward the Red Door.
Yet, the instant he shattered one mirror, the sound of breaking glass echoed beside him—
Dawn had finally spotted Jing Mian.
After circling the battlefield, eliminating so many foes, it all seemed to lead to this moment.
He raised his gun, only to realize that though Sheep was also armed, the younger man didn’t immediately retaliate upon seeing him.
Dawn’s heart lurched.
Given how well he knew Jing Mian, the boy’s reflexes should’ve had him firing back the second he caught sight of Dawn, regardless of the odds. Clearly, Sheep was acting out of character.
Could it be… reluctance?
His Adam’s apple bobbed slightly as the man slowly squeezed the trigger.
“Bang.”
The gunshot rang out, yet Sheep didn’t fall.
Instead, a mirror before him shattered, fragments scattering outward.
Sheep’s figure in his vision splintered apart along with it.
Dawn’s pupils constricted.
—That wasn’t Sheep at all. It had been a mirror.
Sheep was behind him!!
The realization struck just as another gunshot roared from his rear.
“Bang.”
…
[Holy shit…]
[I’m speechless…]
[AHHHHHHHH!!!]
[Sheep just wrecked me!! That was god-tier gameplay, top-ten replay material for sure!]
[Old flames meet, eyes burning with fury,broken mirrors reunited, spilled water beyond retrieval.]
[Someone get this poet a book deal.]
[LMAOOOOOOO]
[Seriously, not an ounce of mercy.]
[I even took time off work for today’s match. Worth it. So fucking worth it.]
[Hatred at its peak is just love-hate slaughter.]
[Panting heavily… this is too good.]
…
Manager Yang watched with cold sweat dripping down his back.
Right now, he wished he could hit a button to mute the entire barrage of comments.
This was not the kind of ship to sail.
Mr. Jing was a married man.
And the actual husband was standing right beside him.
At that thought, Yang Fan instinctively glanced toward President Ren, not far away.
From this angle, he couldn’t make out the man’s expression, only the interplay of light and shadow cascading over his form.
The outline of his silhouette was deep and unreadable, dark and inscrutable.