Do You Still Have to Have a Crush on Your Rival After You Become Enemies? [Esports]

There's long been a rumor in the domestic esports scene.

Miel, Tang Xiu, the talented mid laner in Europe's league, is a hidden gem who ended up overseas. Back in China, there's someone from his past he still thinks about.

They have a bitter history and can't stand each other.

One day, the lost gem returned to China.

His location popped up in the audience seats at a domestic tournament, just one aisle away from the players.

Three years ago, Tang Xiu said he and Ji Zhixue had nothing to do with each other anymore.

Then he realized that this whole mess, this tangled-up connection, had a way of crawling right back to him on its own.

-

Ji Zhixue, current captain of COG and the top jungler on the Chinese server. Hundreds, maybe thousands, have fallen to his gentle blade. Word is, he was the one who kicked Tang Xiu out when he purged the team back then.

Everyone says Miel holds a grudge.

Especially against Ji Zhixue.

Even during the post-match handshake and embrace between opponents, fans joked: Better put on a bulletproof vest. Watch out, the other guy might stab you to death.

Ji Zhixue only smiled at that.

After the match that day, Ji Zhixue pulled the young man into his arms onstage, right in front of the cameras and their long lenses.

He stroked his back, then patted the back of his head.

Tang Xiu didn't move a muscle.

Yes, he knew this was a normal friendly gesture between players.

But weren't they enemies?

Did you have to be secretly in love with someone after becoming their enemy?

-

Gentle, older, and scheming like a black lotus × proud, flamboyant young master

Reading Guide:

This is an imaginary MOBA game. It's fine if you don't play games; esports won't take up too much of the story.

The tournament format is partly based on real competitions, but there's no need to scrutinize the details.

Hope you enjoy reading.

"An upcoming sweet modern cat-and-dog story"

Xu Qing is a shonen manga artist. He's neither young nor passionate, but he looks like a man straight out of a comic.

Long-haired and laid-back, he spends all day sunbathing.

One day, he fed a stray dog downstairs in his apartment complex: a huge golden retriever.

Later, someone knocked on his door. He was also a huge golden retriever.

What is this? Did it turn human?

"A couple of days ago, you fed a golden retriever a duck leg. Do you remember?" the golden retriever asked.

"Are you the duck or the golden retriever?" Xu Qing said.

"I'm the college student housekeeper you called. Twenty-five an hour, a little better than the milk tea shop by campus." The golden retriever held up his student ID.

Chen Yue.

And he was a graduate student at a prestigious 985 university, no less.

"The dog didn't finish that duck leg last time and hid it downstairs. It went bad, and the cleaners found a bunch of bones. They said not to feed it next time," Chen Yue said.

"Oh." Xu Qing quietly hid the half-full bag of duck jerky.

"You like dogs? Then why do you have a cat?" Chen Yue pointed to the black mango pit sprawled on its back, fast asleep.

"Dogs don't listen," Xu Qing said.

Later, the temporary housekeeping job became a live-in position, and the pay went up, too.

All the way to thirty yuan an hour.

For the umpteenth time, hardworking Mr. Chen swept up flirty BL sketches mixed in with Xu Qing's passionate shonen manga: a dog-eared butler.

He finally couldn't take it anymore.

He stormed into the study and crowded Xu Qing into the round sofa.

"What are you drawing?"

"A dog-eared butler," Xu Qing said.

"Do you have a dog?"

Xu Qing shook his head. "No."

"Get one." Chen Yue draped himself over him and buried his face against Xu Qing's neck, his voice muffled. "One that listens."

Xu Qing freed a hand and patted his face. "Got it. Go play."

Theme: Stay true to the one you love.