Chapter Seventy-Two: A Subtle Atmosphere

Qi Bin watched the live broadcast and immediately furrowed his brows at Duan Yuqing’s response. The conditions weren’t much of an issue, but… Qi Bin thought about how Wild had already claimed two world championship titles, and likely had exceptionally high standards for teammates. Yet the members currently in the team had never competed before; they were all rookies—pure newcomers through and through. Qi Bin drew in a sharp breath, fearing it would be hard to get Wild on board.

At the same time, Duan Yuqing, aware that Sang Yijia was helping her, reached out and held her hand. The segment director signaled the cameraman to focus on this very moment, his excitement barely contained. He wanted badly to ask who Sang Yijia’s friend really was, whether they could persuade Wild to keep playing, but since he was on the job, all questions had to be stifled.

By now, many viewers in the live chat had come to accept that Sang Yijia’s high school deskmate was such a formidable figure. At the same time, Wild’s fans poured in, waving banners and chanting for Wild’s triumphant return.

“We’re waiting for you to come back!”
“Wild, we’ll always be behind you!”
“Wild!!!! I love you!”

Who could say how many of these comments came from male fans, and how many from female? Sang Yijia had picked out a variety of foods, quickly filling her small tray. “Let’s go back and sit down.”

“Alright.” Duan Yuqing didn’t refuse the invitation, following her to the table and pulling up a chair to sit in the fifth seat.

Naturally, Sang Yijia took the spot beside Lu Wenchuan—after all, they were still at work. “I picked out a few things. I’m not sure if you’ll like them.”

Buffets were just for fun. After making a round, Sang Yijia hadn’t found anything she particularly liked—she wasn’t that interested in buffet food—and simply chose a few snacks she thought everyone would enjoy.

Duan Yuqing, settling in, glanced at Lu Wenchuan. She didn’t know much about him, but could sense a powerful presence from him.

“Hello,” Duan Yuqing greeted him softly.

Yan Ningsi returned, spotted Duan Yuqing at once, and sat down beside her. “Hi there.”

“I’m Yan Ningsi. And you?” she asked, extending her hand.

“Wild,” Duan Yuqing replied, shaking it.

“Oh, hello, hello.” Yan Ningsi didn’t follow the esports scene and had no idea of Wild’s reputation. She simply assumed Duan Yuqing was a friend Sang Yijia had run into by chance. “What’s your relationship with Jia Jia?”

“High school classmates,” Duan Yuqing answered.

Seeing that Lu Wenchuan hadn’t touched any of the food she’d brought, Sang Yijia frowned slightly. “Do you want to go pick something out yourself?”

“I’m fine with anything.” Lu Wenchuan glanced at the table; there were mostly snacks, with little meat to be seen.

Noticing his attention, Sang Yijia explained, “The meat dishes looked cold to me.”

No sooner had she finished than Bian He returned, carrying two large platters piled with meat. “I noticed you two didn’t take any meat, so I grabbed these for you.”

“Fresh from the kitchen,” he said as he sat down, then caught sight of Duan Yuqing and blinked in surprise. “Hey, you look familiar.”

“I’m a woman, thank you,” Duan Yuqing corrected him.

Yan Ningsi was stunned. “Wait, you’re a woman?”

“I thought you were a guy!”

Duan Yuqing’s mouth twitched. She glanced down at her flat stomach—no curve at all. No wonder there’d been confusion.

“Sorry,” Yan Ningsi said quickly, waving her hands. “How could that possibly be your fault?” She chuckled. “Girl, you’ve got a cool, dashing vibe.”

“I bet a lot of girls have a crush on you.”

Duan Yuqing was silent for a moment, then gave a soft acknowledgment. Now that she thought about it, most of her team’s fans over the years had indeed been women; male fans were rare.

Bian He kept staring at Duan Yuqing, convinced he’d seen her somewhere before, but couldn’t quite place her. His brows knit tightly together.

Yan Ningsi noticed Bian He’s gaze and asked, “What’s up with you, Bian He? Can’t take your eyes off a pretty girl?”

“Nonsense,” Bian He denied at once. “She just looks really familiar, like I’ve seen her somewhere before.”

“But I can’t remember where.” He scratched his cheek, looked at Yan Ningsi—who clearly didn’t believe him—and tried to explain, but didn’t know how.

Lu Wenchuan, listening, pressed his lips together. “She’s Wild.”

“Wild?” Bian He’s eyes went wide with disbelief as he looked at Sang Yijia. “She’s your classmate?”

“That’s incredible!”

“Wild?” Yan Ningsi blinked at Duan Yuqing. “What do you do?”

“I play games,” Duan Yuqing replied. “But I was let go not long ago.”

There were no secrets in this world—one quick search and you’d find out everything. Duan Yuqing saw no reason to hide it.

Sang Yijia looked up, the corners of her lips curling in a faint smile. “It’s alright, actually. My friend wants to invite you to join his team.”

Yan Ningsi perked up. “That sounds pretty good.”

“If you cross paths again, it means you’re meant to be,” she said, looking at both Sang Yijia and Duan Yuqing.

Bian He finally came back to his senses, staring at Duan Yuqing. “You really are Wild? Not joking?”

“What would I gain by lying to you?” Duan Yuqing asked in confusion.

Bian He was beside himself with excitement, grinning foolishly. “Wild! You’re my idol!”

“Heh, can I have your autograph? Maybe a photo?” He pulled out his phone and tugged at his T-shirt.

Yan Ningsi, sitting nearby, pursed her lips and turned her head away.

The viewers in the live chat were delighted.

“Is Si Si getting jealous?”
“Isn’t it obvious? Of course she is!”
“Si Si was the first to notice when He He looked at Wild.”
“But Si Si still likes Zhuang Fei more these days.”
“He He’s road to winning her heart is a long one.”
“As long as we keep believing, every couple we ship will come true!”

The comments scrolled by, and the staff found it all quite amusing, reporting it back to Director Chen.

Meanwhile, in the buffet restaurant, Lan Qing, having finished a call, couldn’t help glancing over at Sang Yijia’s table again and again.

After a while, Shen Jin found it impossible to ignore. He looked up at Lan Qing, her reflection shining in his dark eyes. “Qingqing, what’s the matter?”

“Why do you keep looking over there?” he asked, following her gaze and spotting Sang Yijia at once. His eyes instantly grew sharper.

“Qingqing?” Shen Jin turned back to her, a trace of hurt in his eyes. “Why are you paying so much attention to someone else?”