DSF Chapter 25

Yan Yibing pocketed his phone, lowered his head, and walked out, with Han Mo following him.

E-sports players have sharp ears, precise in hearing and locating sounds. Yan Yibing knew Han Mo was following him, so he quickened his pace, took a shortcut, and headed straight for his residential area.

But Han Mo still followed him.

He almost reached the entrance of the residential area, but Han Mo didn’t leave.

Unable to endure it any longer, Yan Yibing stopped, frowned, and asked, “Captain Han, is there anything else? I’m going home.”

Han Mo was calm, his baseball jersey half open, revealing a plain black T-shirt.

He pointed to the villa area of Yan Yibing’s house and casually said, “I’m going home too.”

Yan Yibing said, “?”

Han Mo continued, “It’s a new one, bought in the first half of the year, just finished decorating not long ago.”

Yan Yibing suddenly felt complicated.

His family’s villa was bought more than ten years ago when this place was still nice. The greenery and property management were the best in Shanghai at that time.

But as the city developed, this area gradually leaned towards the bustling districts. The scenery diminished, the greenery decreased, the river became murky, and once you stepped out of the residential area, it was crowded with people.

As a property in the city center, it remained costly, but as a villa, it had lost its inherent value.

Two years ago, Yan Yibing occasionally brought Han Mo home, showed him around the neighborhood, and had him taste the dumplings made by his mother.

During a playful moment, Yan Yibing said, “When you become famous and rich in the future, buy a house here, and we’ll be neighbors.”

He had said similar things to many close friends because he enjoyed the feeling of having friends gathered together. This way, even after retiring, they could still meet often.

But over the years, very few people had actually taken his words seriously.

Those who retired from the same year all bought houses in school districts, preparing for marriage and having children in the future.

Even Yu Yan had been looking for a house near the university recently.

So, was Han Mo the only one planning to be his neighbor?

How foolish.

Living alone in a villa had no investment value.

Moreover, given their current relationship, what’s the point of being neighbors?

But Han Mo’s money had nothing to do with him. Maybe Han Mo simply liked this neighborhood. Yan Yibing paused for a moment and continued walking.

High-end residential areas required card access. Yan Yibing approached the retractable gate and vaguely saw a somewhat short figure.

That figure was entangled with the security guard, seemingly saying something. The guard seemed reluctant to engage, waving his hands frequently. Eventually, he grabbed a chair and went into the security room.

Getting closer, Yan Yibing finally felt that the figure was somewhat familiar.

At the same time, the woman turned around and also saw Yan Yibing.

Both of them froze for a moment. Suddenly, the woman tightened her handbag and quickly ran towards Yan Yibing, looking somewhat fierce, as if afraid he might escape.

Yan Yibing stood still, and moved his lips slightly, not knowing what to say.

“Xiao Yan, Auntie has been waiting for you.” The woman spoke panting with urgency, her disheveled hair dancing in the evening breeze, clearly still upset from the argument with the security guard.

Yan Yibing stole a glance at Han Mo, who had also halted but was silently standing not far away, hands in his pockets, a cold and indifferent expression, but showing no intention of leaving.

He reluctantly retracted his gaze, forced a smile, and said gently, “Auntie Liang, long time no see.”

The woman raised her chin, pushed her glasses with a huff, and grumbled strangely, “You’re a busy man. It’s not easy to see you. The club even has security guards, and your home has security guards too. Who are they guarding against?”

Yan Yibing’s throat moved slightly, took a soft breath, and said slowly, “The club is to prevent fans from barging in, and the security guards here are arranged by the management. If they’ve offended you, I apologize. By the way, I sent two boxes of bird’s nests to you and Feng a while ago. It seems no one received them.”

The woman waved her hand, clutched her bag tightly, and shamelessly said, “I don’t want your bird’s nest. I don’t like it. Feng is only twenty-five. What’s he drinking bird’s nest for? You might as well give us something practical.”

Yan Yibing fell into silence, and lowered his almond-shaped eyes, unsure of what to say.

The woman seized the opportunity to pursue and questioned, “I heard that a member named Lei Ming left your team. Isn’t there a vacant position now? You can just sign our Liang Hefeng directly. You’re classmates, and he used to be in Zero’s youth training team. Talk to your boss, there shouldn’t be a problem. This kid has always wanted to join a good team; being cooped up at home for so long is almost making him sick.”

Yan Yibing furrowed his brows in distress, his eyelashes trembling as he whispered, “Auntie, there’s no available spot anymore. The club signed someone from the youth training team. It just hasn’t been officially announced.”

The woman froze, then grabbed onto Yan Yibing’s tailored suit with anger, shaking him violently. While shaking, she shouted, “What do you mean? What does this mean? When there was a spot available, why didn’t you tell us? Did you… Did you not recommend Hefeng to your boss? With your position in Zero, it shouldn’t be difficult to recommend someone!.”

Yan Yibing was shaken so much that he staggered backward two steps.

The wrinkles in this suit that were pulled out might not be able to recover. He smiled bitterly, “Zero isn’t solely under my command. The manager decides who to pick, and… Hefeng is twenty-five now, which is a bit… for the club.”

The woman, hoarse and desperate shouted, “Aren’t you twenty-five too? Aren’t you still the captain of Zero? How come it’s okay for you and not for my Hefeng? Let me tell you, he’s doing great now. In the rankings, he’s climbed to the top. If you think twenty-five is too old, why didn’t you say to give him the position when he was seventeen! If it weren’t for Hefeng kindly taking you to the youth training camp to broaden your horizons, you wouldn’t have taken over his territory! ”

Yan Yibing closed his eyes, and deeply sighed.

What kind of day was today?

All of his embarrassing scenes had been witnessed by Han Mo.

All his privacy had been exposed, whether inevitably or coincidentally, in front of Han Mo. He couldn’t predict what kind of blackmail might come in the future.

He wanted Han Mo to leave quickly, or he could take Auntie Liang somewhere else to talk.

But obviously, both of these tasks were challenging.

Seeing Yan Yibing silent, Auntie Liang thought he was guilty. Accusing him of jealousy and envy, she became even more aggressive, “You have everything. You’re so good at studying, always ranking first. You could have gone to a good university! Hefeng only has this opportunity in esports. He has put all his time into it. He has gone all-in, and you’re still competing with him! Is this what friends do? What kind of friend are you!.”

“Are you afraid that Hefeng will take your position in your team? Are you afraid that he’s better than you? The worst thing that happened to Hefeng is knowing you! Otherwise, it would have been him joining Zero, being the captain! Everything you have now belongs to him! Despite everything, he has treated you so well. How can you repay him!”

After Auntie Liang finished speaking, she was about to grab Yan Yibing’s hand.

Before she could succeed, her wrist was tightly grabbed, twisted, and turned over.

The force was so great that there was a muffled sound, as if bones were crunching.

Auntie Liang was twisted backward, couldn’t help but let out a cry, and stomped her high heels heavily on the ground.

Han Mo narrowed his eyes, and shook her forcefully, and Auntie Liang staggered a few steps. She stumbled over a raised brick on the ground and ended up sitting on the floor.

She fell hard, sprawled in a rather undignified manner, her movements awkward.

Yan Yibing was startled and admonished in a low voice, “Han Mo!”

Han Mo ignored him and walked past.

He crouched in front of Auntie Liang, watching this woman with a twisted expression of anger, his gaze becoming somewhat fierce.

Auntie Liang, who fell on her tailbone, was subtly in pain. Han Mo’s approach left her no room to get up and cause trouble.

She spit and yelled angrily, “You brat, you pushed me! You uncultured thing!”

Han Mo, with a deep and calm gaze, leisurely took out a keychain from his pocket. This keychain was a multifunctional tool, containing a small knife, earpick, nail clipper, bottle opener, and various other items.

With a flick of his finger, a small knife popped out, landing right in front of Auntie Liang’s chin.

Auntie Liang was scared and shrank back.

Han Mo played with the keychain, eyes fixed on the blade.

Although it wasn’t sharpened, the small knife was sharp and shiny, casting a cold light. Without a doubt, it had more than enough capability to draw blood.

“Being bad at esports is the original sin. Which server is your son in the top ranks? Why haven’t I heard of him?”

“What level is Zero? Your son should know, right? How dare he ask Yan Yibing for help?”

“At seventeen, he was eliminated during the golden period. Now, at twenty-five, he still wants to join? What kind of pipe dream is he living?”

“Have you been to school? Do you understand the meaning of taking over someone else’s territory? Is your son considered a magpie?”

“Without Yan Yibing, Zero would have been wiped out by us long ago. Who gave you the face to act so arrogantly here?”

“Also, I might lack manners. That’s why I’m not as tolerant as Yan Yibing. You insult me once, and I might want to test my knife on you.”

Auntie Liang was scared into silence. Han Mo’s harsh and accurate taunts left her trembling, and she could only use her peripheral vision to look at Yan Yibing, waiting for him to resolve the situation.

Yan Yibing never knew that Han Mo could speak so much in a row, and the mockery was both ruthless and accurate, showing no mercy.

But this person… after all, was still his elder.

Yan Yibing tugged at the collar of Han Mo’s baseball jersey and whispered, “Han Mo, this is none of your business. Step aside.”

Han Mo could feel Yan Yibing pulling him. Yan Yibing’s fingers accidentally touched his neck—cold, without any warmth.

Han Mo didn’t respond.

He sternly told Auntie Liang, “There are no surveillance cameras here. I can do whatever I want. I’m different from you well-educated people. I fight, brawl, drink, gamble, and I don’t mind hitting women.”

Auntie Liang was scared stiff. Han Mo looked rebellious, his eyes cold and wild, truly resembling someone capable of breaking the law.

“You… don’t scare people!”

Yan Yibing’s temple was throbbing. He was afraid that Han Mo might get too agitated and ruin the rest of his career.

In that case, he’d rather be the one to act.

Yan Yibing didn’t have time to think much. Subconsciously, he hugged Han Mo from behind, both hands reaching around him, and his chest pressed tightly against Han Mo’s back.

He breathed quickly, warm breath brushing against Han Mo’s ear, murmuring to soothe him, “Calm down, Han Mo, it’s not worth it.”

Yan Yibing rushed up so suddenly that Han Mo couldn’t help but shudder, and the tip of the knife moved forward a bit.

Auntie Liang immediately screamed, “Murder! Murder!”

Han Mo paused, steadied himself, and impatiently said, “Shut up!”

Terrified, Auntie Liang closed her mouth, looking at him timidly.

Han Mo’s gaze fell on Yan Yibing’s beautiful and slender left hand.

The mark near the wrist had faded considerably. Because he was fair-skinned, it stood out a bit more. After some time, it would completely disappear.

Han Mo gritted his teeth, sneering, “Is the mark on his hand something you did? Do you know how important hands are for an esports player? You intentionally injured his hand, and just now, did you want to grab it again?”

“If you touch his hand again, I’ll cut your face. If you bother him again, I’ll smash your home. Don’t believe it? Just try me, and see if I dare.”

Auntie Liang, intimidated, immediately backed down, saying, “I didn’t mean to. I… I dare not.”

Yan Yibing’s eyelashes trembled, and his eye sockets were slightly moist.

No wonder Han Mo didn’t react initially, but when Auntie Liang tried to grab his hand, Han Mo went crazy.

His throat choked up, and he spoke softly with difficulty, “Han Mo, that’s enough.”

Yan Yibing leaned against Han Mo’s shoulder, close to the side of his face.

Han Mo carried a refreshing scent of cool breeze, with a pleasant fragrance of grass and wood.

The force in his hands gradually relaxed because he knew Han Mo wouldn’t act impulsively.

Han Mo took a deep breath, not daring to move his back. He maintained a crouching position, bearing the weight of two people. The keychain in his hand spun around, and somehow, with a twist, the small knife retracted.

---

Author’s Message:

Yan Yibing: Tsk, getting so worked up with just a hug, such an innocent virgin.

Han Mo: Then I don’t want to be a virgin anymore.

---

Thank you for reading! 

Hope you enjoy the rest of your day 🍀

If you like reading my translations, do consider supporting me with ko-fi🌼