Starting from scratch with a new account is not a quick task; just leveling up to 30 to be eligible for ranked games can take a considerable amount of time.
Shen Er, looking at his account that had just completed the tutorial and reached level 3, smiled helplessly.
Then, he clicked into matchmaking and began to queue.
Making Shen Er play these matches for players below level 30 was like sending an adult to a kindergarten to fight with children; there was no challenge at all.
He controlled the champion Ahri, given to him by the beginner tutorial, and wreaked havoc in the Summoner’s Rift.
While the computer screen incessantly flashed “insufficient balance” flashed crazily on the computer screen, Shen Er controlled the fox to dive under the enemy’s high ground turret. With pinpoint accuracy, he charmed the only ADC guarding their base, used a full set of skills to eliminate them, unleashed his ultimate to destroy the turret, and followed the slow advance of his allied minions to take down the turret together.
As the nexus was destroyed, the word “Victory” appeared, and the internet fee ran out, automatically shutting down the computer.
Shen Er had maximized the use of his nine yuan worth of internet time—
In three hours, he played nearly ten games, each ending with the enemy surrendering at 15 minutes.
Stuffing his phone and the bag of medicine he brought from the hospital into his pocket, Shen Er crumpled the tissue on the mouse and keyboard into a ball and threw it into the roadside trash can.
A gust of wind blew, bringing a chill.
Shen Er put on his hat and zipped his jacket up to the top, covering his chin, and fell into deep thought.
Where do I live?
A street name flickered vaguely in his mind, seeming to be his address, but…
He stood on the street corner, feeling lost.
It all felt very unfamiliar.
Wang Chenyu returned the money Shen Er handed over, but even so, the money in his WeChat account still barely reached four figures. He couldn’t afford to take a taxi. He was too broke.
Just then, Wang Chenyu called him.
“Why aren’t you at the hospital? Did you go back by yourself?”
Shen Er instinctively shook his head. “No, I don’t remember the way home.”
“Then where are you? You didn’t get lost, did you?” Wang Chenyu’s voice suddenly grew louder. “You dare to wander off without remembering the way home? Really, you’re something else.”
“I’m not lost,” Shen Er chuckled softly. “I’m standing in front of an internet cafe across from the hospital.”
“Internet cafe?” Wang Chenyu was momentarily surprised. “Oh, okay. Walk to the hospital entrance and wait for me there, I’ll pick you up and take you home.”
Shen Er agreed with a soft “okay,” then he put his hands in his coat pockets and walked leisurely toward the hospital entrance.
After a short while, Wang Chenyu came down from the hospital building and saw Shen Er standing straight. He patted his shoulder.
Shen Er instinctively turned his head.
“Why did you go to an internet cafe? In all these years I’ve known you, I’ve never heard you mention you liked playing on computers,” Wang Chenyu, who was dressed rather lightly, exhaled visibly in the cold air. “Ah, never mind that now, let’s go back first. I’ll go get the ride.”
After saying that, Wang Chenyu turned around and walked in another direction.
Shen Er followed behind him, and soon, the two stood together at a spot where a row of electric bikes was parked.
Wang Chenyu walked up to a somewhat old electric bike, kicked the pedal, and got on, putting on his helmet slowly before riding the bike out.
He then scooted forward, grabbed another helmet, and handed it to Shen Er. “Hop on.”
For Shen Er, it felt like a lifetime ago since Shen Er last wore a helmet and rode on an electric bike.
Now, taking the helmet and putting it on, getting on the bike, it all felt somewhat novel.
“Hey Shen Er, how’s your head? Still hurting?” Wang Chenyu rode the bike into the non-motorized lane, turning his head slightly to ask.
“It’s still a bit sore, but not too bad,” Shen Er replied.
“The manager asked me today if you could come to work tomorrow. Seeing your condition, I didn’t dare to promise him anything. If you can come to work tomorrow, send a message to the manager on WeChat in the evening,” Wang Chenyu said.
Shen Er nodded. “Okay.”
The electric bike exited the main road, entered a winding alley, and after several turns, stopped under an old building.
It was dinner time, and the light from various households brightened the building while the scent of different dishes wafted through the hallways, filling the air.
Shen Er followed Wang Chenyu upstairs to the fifth floor and into the furthest apartment.
One bedroom, one living room, one bathroom; the apartment was small, and despite not having too much stuff, it looked crowded.
“Shen Er, do you remember that you live here?” Wang Chenyu changed into slippers, poured half a kettle of water, plugged it in, then turned to ask.
As Shen Er looked around, everything started to feel familiar. He bent down to untie his shoelaces. “It’s coming back to me.”
“Tell me honestly, did you have a really long dream where you thought you were some rich second generation or something?” Wang Chenyu rubbed his hands together, pulled out leftovers from the fridge, and began stir-frying them. He looked back jokingly. “Living in some club and waking up to this must feel like quite a shock, right?”
Shen Er smiled but didn’t rush to reply.
Shen Er’s years competing professionally in esports, depicted in the book, felt like a dream. Yet the sense of disparity…
Returning from the brightly lit club villa in the city center to a tiny one-bedroom apartment in an old building, it would be false to claim there was no feeling of descent. However…
He was determined to reach the pinnacle again; he wouldn’t spend his life confined to this small space. He didn’t need to feel this disparity. Rather than see it as a setback, he took joy in the thought that everything in the outside world could be changed in the later stages. His hands, after years of a professional career without any injuries, were capable of creating miracles.
“It was like having a long dream,” Shen Er said. “But the disparity isn’t so big; this has always been my life.”
“What I admire most is your positive attitude,” Wang Chenyu gave him a thumbs up. “My mom thought it was a pity when she found out you didn’t go to college after passing the entrance exam, but you accepted it like this. Imagine if you had just gritted your teeth and gone to university, wouldn’t your life be better now?”
Shen Er didn’t reply. He couldn’t have chosen to shoulder student loans and continue his studies while his mother was sick and they were already under tremendous financial pressure.
“Let’s not talk about that. Wash your hands before dinner,” Wang Chenyu said. “Oh, right, you said you went to the internet cafe today. What were you doing there? I thought you never went to those kinds of places.”
“Playing games,” Shen Er said. “League of Legends.”
Wang Chenyu turned around in surprise. “Oh? You know how to play?”
Shen Er looked at him and confidently tilted his head. “Yes, and I’m very good at it.”
“It sounds like you really did hit your head. Maybe you shouldn’t go to work tomorrow,” Wang Chenyu brought over the steaming dishes, nudged Shen Er with his elbow, and nodded toward the table. “Set up the table over there.”
Shen Er followed his gesture and moved the folding table against the wall, unfolding it.
Wang Chenyu placed the dishes on the table, rubbed his red fingertips, pulled over a plastic chair, and sat down. “Hey, you said you’re very good at League of Legends. What rank are you?”
Shen Er remained silent for a moment. “I don’t have a rank yet.”
“Then what level are you in the game?” Wang Chenyu asked again.
Shen Er pursed his lips. “Level nine.”
Wang Chenyu: …
“I can’t believe I actually believed you enough to ask that.”
Shen Er put down his chopsticks, his face serious as he looked at Wang Chenyu: “I really am good, don’t doubt me.”
It looked as if Shen Er was ready to challenge him to a duel all night if Wang Chenyu uttered a single “no.”
Following his attitude of not arguing with injured people, Wang Chenyu nodded half-heartedly. “Mmm, mmm, you’re really good, really good. When you become successful in the future, don’t forget about me.”
Shen Er nodded solemnly. “That’s for sure.”
Since Wang Chenyu cooked, naturally, the bowls fell to Shen Er to wash. Even if Shen Er was injured, he still had to wash these bowls. After all, he wasn’t going to wash them with his head.
After he finished washing the dishes, Wang Chenyu finished showering and came out of the bathroom. “Looks like we’re running out of gas at home. Hurry up and shower while the water is still hot.”
Shen Er arranged the tableware, shook off the water from his hands, grabbed his clothes from the bedroom, and headed into the bathroom.
In the bedroom were two single beds side by side. When he came out of the shower, Wang Chenyu had already lain down and was playing a mobile game.
Shen Er turned off the light, walked to the other bed, and lay down with his phone in hand.
His phone, which could crash twice in a day, was a bit difficult for Shen Er to use. He cautiously opened the search engine and searched for information about “gaming companions.”
The light from the phone shone on his face, casting shadows of his long eyelashes.
After browsing for almost half an hour, Shen Er roughly understood the various modes of “gaming companionship.”
Whether it was on forums or companion apps, rank and performance were indispensable. In other words, first, Shen Er had to reach level 30 and achieve a decent rank in ranked matches.
It wasn’t a difficult task, just a matter of time.
Shen Er smirked, placing his phone on the bedside table and closing his eyes, slipping into slumber.
—
Yan Sheng’s phone had been ringing on the table for the entire duration of a game. After destroying the opponent’s nexus, he finally couldn’t stand it anymore and picked up the phone on the balcony. “Mom, I’m training. Bombarding me with calls like this makes me think Dad’s having an affair and you found out.”
“If you can’t say anything nice, then shut up!” Yan Sheng’s mother, Ge Ziyuan, voice pierced through the receiver, echoing in his ear.
Yan Sheng furrowed his brow and moved the phone away. “What’s the matter, then?”
“Manman came home for vacation, right? I’ve noticed she’s been playing games with someone these past few days, laughing like crazy at home. When I say something, she talks back to me. Do you think she’s picked up bad habits? People who play games all day and don’t do anything productive, can they be good people?”
Yan Sheng felt like his dear mother was indirectly criticizing him. “Mom, are you implying something about me?”
“I didn’t mean to, but now that you mention it, it seems okay,” Ge Ziyuan said. “When you have free time, just play games with your sister. Don’t let her go off and play with all sorts of questionable people.”
“I’m busy training and competing every day. Where do I have the time to play with her? She’s a total noob anyway.” Yan Sheng sighed. “Who is she playing with, classmates or friends?”
“Neither. She said it’s something called ‘gaming companionship.’ Do you think something with that name is proper?!” Ge Ziyuan was anxious, slapping her thigh. “Manman is still young, and she’s at that rebellious age. I’m really afraid she’ll pick up bad habits. What if she suddenly loses her mind and says she wants to date one of those gaming companions? I’d faint on the spot if that happened!”
“Gaming companionship isn’t that shady,” Yan Sheng briefly explained the profession to Ge Ziyuan, “it’s just paying someone to play games with you. Don’t overthink it.”
“So Manman laughing all day long playing games must just be her enjoying it. A gaming companion can’t date their client, right?”
Yan Sheng paused for a moment: “It’s not that they can’t. Actually, it’s quite common.” He scoffed coldly, “But if Yan Man dares to date a gaming companion, I’ll drive home and beat her until she couldn’t recognize herself.”
Ge Ziyuan replied, “… Well, that might not be necessary. But how do you know? Have you hired gaming companions? Have you dated one?”
“If I’m already this invincible, why would I need a gaming companion? Would I spend money to play with someone else? It was Song Ming who hired one,” Yan Sheng said. “Don’t worry, Mom.”
After hanging up the phone, Song Ming opened the balcony door and walked over to Yan Sheng, handing him a cigarette. “What’s with the gaming companion talk? Who were you talking to on the phone?”
“My mom. She said Yan Man has been playing games with a gaming companion lately and having a good time. She’s worried she might be dating one,” Yan Sheng took the cigarette, lit it, and exhaled a plume of smoke.
“Manman, huh?” Song Ming shook his head with a resigned smile. “Speaking of which, there are plenty of pretty girls among gaming companions, and they can all play games. Why don’t you consider dating one?”
“Do I need to remind you of the time you got scammed by a gaming companion, both emotionally and financially?” Yan Sheng gave him a disdainful look. “There’s no way I’d ever date a gaming companion in my life.”
“If I did, I’d be a dog.”
Author’s Note:
Yan Sheng: Bark bark bark!!
As someone who has hired and worked as a gaming companion, I hold no prejudice against them. This is just for the plot and carries no negative connotations towards gaming companions.
Thank you for reading! 
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