Sun Tianjiao carried a bag of New Zealand kiwifruit to find Yan Yibing, plopping down on a rocking chair and peeling one for himself.
While eating, he asked, “I heard you’ve been duo queuing with Han Mo at night lately?”
Yan Yibing also grabbed a kiwi, casually tearing one open and holding a trash can to catch the juice. “What about it? Is it not good to help the coach share the pressure?”
Sun Tianjiao smirked ambiguously. “Sure, sure, it’s good. It’s like having special treatment. I’m just curious, what special qualities does he have to make someone as lazy as you work overtime?”
Yan Yibing raised an eyebrow, flicking the kiwi in his hand. “He’s especially skillful at peeling fruit skins. Considering he peels oranges for me every day, I should give him some perks, right?”
Sun Tianjiao clicked his tongue, glanced up with a shrug. “Yeah, yeah, it’s worth the price of peeling fruit for the top god of the league’s 1v1 tutoring.”
Hearing Sun Tianjiao’s suggestive tone, Yan Yibing couldn’t help but laugh. “What can I do? Whenever Han Mo sees me, his mind goes blank, and he plays terribly. If I don’t help him overcome this, do you plan to send him to the second team?”
Sun Tianjiao turned his eyes back, puzzled. “What’s his deal? Does he really idolize you as unattainable? It’s been two weeks already; he should have seen your true colors by now. You’re just a lazy and arrogant little princess. What’s there to admire?”
Yan Yibing grabbed a crumpled tissue and threw it at Sun Tianjiao. “Get lost!”
Sun Tianjiao, with a background in tennis, leaned to the side, dodging the tissue as it flew past his ear.
“Hey hey hey, speaking of serious matters, the groups in the youth training camp have been divided quite clearly.”
Yan Yibing replied nonchalantly, “Normal. Surface-level friendships. Once the youth training is over, they’ll part ways.”
Sun Tianjiao clicked his tongue. “Tsk, I don’t like this kind of cliquishness. There’s no benefit. I plan to organize a team-building event. After all, we’ve been practicing hard for two weeks. In a month, the first batch will be assessed and dismissed. I thought we’d relax a bit before that.”
Yan Yibing responded, “Sure, do what you want, even though it’s useless.”
Sun Tianjiao narrowed his eyes. “You have to come to this team-building event too.”
Yan Yibing frowned, not too keen on the idea. “Why should I go?”
Sun Tianjiao said, “You know, nowadays people are tired of team-building events. There has to be some attraction, and besides, you’ve been guiding the youth training camp so many times, they’re quite familiar with you. With a batch of people leaving soon, consider it a farewell gift.”
Yan Yibing fell silent for a moment, carefully wiping his fingers clean. “Fine.”
The team-building was scheduled for the weekend, and Sun Tianjiao booked an open-air bar, as well as pre-ordered a series of high-calorie snacks like pizza, mini hamburgers, and French fries to curb hunger.
Of course, there were plenty of cocktails, with six bartenders on hand for full-service.
It was said that Bing Shen would also attend, and there was a cheer from the training camp, receiving the team-building project well.
That day, Yan Yibing also tidied up a bit. He had a custom-made casual suit specifically for such entertainment occasions, but unfortunately, he had few opportunities to attend such events, so it had been kept in the shop for regular maintenance until now.
He put on the nine-point trousers, skipped the suit jacket, and wore a lightweight white T-shirt underneath, with a Versace black shirt draped over it.
He unbuttoned the shirt sleeves and rolled them up along with the inner layer, deliberately creating a messy and unrestrained look, revealing his arms that hadn’t seen sunlight in a while.
Yan Yibing glanced at himself in the mirror and felt it was quite appropriate.
The colors were understated, not flashy, fitting for a senior’s dignified image, yet at the same time relaxed and casual, without giving off any pressure.
The team-building event started at nine in the evening. The trainees arrived early, not for drinking, but tacitly sitting in groups of three or four to start padding their stomachs.
Everyone anticipated that they wouldn’t be drinking lightly tonight, after all, the assessments for this month would result in the elimination of the last-place ten.
Those who frequently ranked in the middle had the most anxiety, fearing that this might be their last chance to make connections with a top-tier team.
Han Mo and Song Tang, with their outstanding performances, naturally had no such worries.
Yan Yibing often gave them personal guidance, so their identities were self-evident.
Han Mo didn’t like to join in the excitement. In front of him was a plate of mini hamburgers and a glass of water.
He took a bite of the burger, chewed it slowly, and gazed deeply into the gradually darkening night.
Song Tang came over with a plate of fries, pulled up a chair beside him, and leaned on his chin. “Why don’t you go chat with them?”
Han Mo glanced at him and replied lightly, “Don’t know what to talk about.”
Song Tang sighed and ran his hand through his hair. “Yeah, same here. I’ve never been to a bar or club before. Ended up wearing shorts. It’s so awkward. Everyone else is dressed like peacocks.”
Song Tang glanced at Han Mo’s outfit, which was no different from his usual training attire: jeans, a black T-shirt, from an ordinary store, quite plain. Only his exceptionally superior face made him stand out among the peacocks.
“I can tell at a glance that you’ve never been to a place like this. We’re true gaming nerds, aren’t we?”
“Yeah,” Han Mo replied with a slight pull of his lips, but there was no hint of a smile in his eyes.
He wondered what it felt like to be a happy gamer while throwing darts and mixing drinks in a bar.
Because he was underage, every time he went out, he had to stick on a fake beard, wear a hat and thick-framed glasses, trying to hide his face as much as possible.
The bar, no one knew it better than him.
But now that he didn’t need to liven up the atmosphere anymore, he was even less inclined to speak.
“Can you drink? My tolerance isn’t great,” Song Tang asked.
“Average,” Han Mo replied.
Once he vomited, he wouldn’t get drunk.
“Should we go toast Bing Shen, the coach, and the manager later? We should get it over with. I’m afraid I won’t be able to keep up,” Song Tang suggested.
Han Mo glanced at him and couldn’t help but say, “With your performance, you shouldn’t worry about these things.”
The entire youth training camp knew that Han Mo was first, and Song Tang was second. They were the two recognized to stay, otherwise Bing Shen wouldn’t spend time on them.
Hearing Han Mo’s words, Song Tang smiled awkwardly. “I’m not that confident, and the manager hasn’t confirmed how many people will be recruited this time.”
“Two,” Han Mo said.
“Ah?” Song Tang was slightly stunned.
“Two spots are vacant, so we need two people, you and me,” Han Mo explained.
Perhaps because he felt that he and Song Tang would be teammates in the future and would have to get along, Han Mo spoke a little more than usual.
Song Tang chuckled awkwardly, “Is it that straightforward?”
Before Han Mo could react, someone came up behind him and hooked an arm around Song Tang’s neck.
“Come have a drink, you two are hiding in the corner.”
Lei Ming grinned, revealing a row of small white teeth, and tapped Song Tang’s glass with his own.
He took a sip of white wine and immediately wrinkled his face.
“Oh, I really don’t like drinking. What kind of thing can be sold for so much money? It’s sour and bitter, I still prefer cola.”
Song Tang chuckled, “Then why don’t you just not drink it?”
Lei Ming shook his head vigorously. “It’s my first time in such a high-end bar, you don’t know how expensive the table fee is here. I have to taste all the alcohol to make it worth it.”
Song Tang asked, “Aren’t you afraid of getting drunk from mixing drinks?”
Lei Ming sighed, “If I get drunk, I get drunk. I don’t know if I’ll have a chance in the future, such a good club, such good brothers, sigh.”
Song Tang patted his shoulder, not saying anything.
Lei Ming’s performance was actually pretty good, ranking behind him, but he didn’t know if the club would accept one more person.
Lei Ming glanced at Han Mo and caught sight of a strand of thread on his shoulder.
“Hey, don’t move.”
He reached over and naturally helped Han Mo pull the thread off, smoothing his clothes.
“You too, a rich second-generation not caring about dressing up.”
Han Mo stiffened slightly all over, his fingers pausing.
Song Tang was somewhat surprised. “Han Mo is a rich second-generation?”
Lei Ming nodded. “Yeah, I went to the bank the other day to do some business and saw Han Mo chatting with his dad, I guess it was his dad, he looked pretty similar, his dad drives a Cayenne, and he gave him a wad of money.”
Han Mo chuckled softly upon hearing this.
If he said he wasn’t a rich second-generation now, he would probably be thought of as pretending to be cool.
But even the basic living expenses required him to abandon his dignity, avoid Zuo Yunshi, and beg bitterly just to get Han Tang’s mercy and give him a little.
Han Mo said dumbly, “What a coincidence.”
Lei Ming said, “If you’re wealthy, don’t forget your friends. But people from rich families like you support their children dropping out of school to play esports, don’t they? They probably don’t care, anyway. Even if they don’t play esports, they can still inherit the family fortune.”
Han Mo’s eyes drooped slightly, reflecting the cool night, making his black eyes even deeper.
“Who knows,” he replied.
Lei Ming said nothing more, noticing Han Mo’s increasingly obvious aura of not wanting to be approached, and tactfully found a reason to leave.
The entrance suddenly became chaotic.
“The coach is here!”
“Bing Shen is here!”
“Hurry, hurry, get me a drink!”
A group of young men stood up in unison, almost all holding glasses, looking towards the entrance.
Han Mo also stood up, silently watching from the corner by the French windows.
He was closest to the French windows.
And closest to the night.
He was clad in black, embracing the darkness like a statue, while under the gentle light, Yan Yibing, with his smiling eyes, seemed like a person from another world.
Han Mo couldn’t help but tighten his grip on the water glass in his hand, his eyelids trembling slightly, a strand of unruly hair falling into his eyes, mingling with his distinct eyelashes.
As Han Mo looked at Yan Yibing’s attire, a voice in his heart kept repeating, “He’s really handsome.”
Handsome in every sense of the word, as if meticulously crafted by the gods, perfect in every aspect no matter the environment.
The surrounding people rushed up, expressing themselves in front of Yan Yibing in a cacophony of voices.
“Bing Shen looks so handsome.”
“Wow, Bing Shen, I’ve never seen you dressed like this before. You could definitely debut with just a little tidying up.”
“Bing Shen, what kind of drink do you want? Let me help you get it.”
“Bing Shen, have you eaten? You should eat something first.”
Yan Yibing smiled with his eyes curved, casually scanning the crowd, not seeing the figure of that indifferent and reticent person.
He withdrew his gaze and smiled, “Alright, don’t be restrained, have fun, I’ll eat with the coach and manager.”
He wasn’t used to being fawned over, it was very tiring, and he was only twenty-one years old, a young man himself, being complimented so much made him feel numb all over.
Sun Tianjiao knew that Yan Yibing didn’t like this, so he smiled and said, “You guys drink first, today we’re all friends. I’ll take the precious miss here to eat something.”
Sun Tianjiao joked like this to make everyone feel more relaxed.
Sure enough, as soon as he said this, the whole room burst into laughter, and Yan Yibing shook his head helplessly.
Sun Tianjiao finished speaking and took Yan Yibing’s arm, leading him to the seats inside, and called the waiter to order some food.
Yan Yibing sighed, “Save me.”
Sun Tianjiao said, “Come on, look how excited they are.”
Yan Yibing asked, “Where’s Han Mo?”
Sun Tianjiao, upon hearing his question, suddenly remembered. There was no trace of Han Mo in the crowd just now.
Sun Tianjiao immediately craned his neck and looked around, but after searching for a long time, he finally found Han Mo, who was quietly drinking water in the most inconspicuous corner.
Sun Tianjiao: “….”
Sun Tianjiao: “In a good bar like this, if all the customers were like Han Mo, we could just bathe and become Buddhas on the spot.”
Following his gaze, Yan Yibing glanced over.
Han Mo lowered his head, his body leaning against the floor-to-ceiling window at an angle, the contours of his profile dappled in the dim light, his chin and neck tucked into his collar, his collarbones gently rising and falling.
From afar, there was a kind of cold wildness that didn’t quite fit the surroundings.
The little sapling was still young, but its spine had already stiffened.
Yan Yibing picked up a cocktail from the bar and walked over to where Han Mo was.
Han Mo was absent-minded, his gaze vacant, lost in thought.
It was half-past nine, the bustling time of the bar. The lights dimmed considerably, and the dim light gave the surrounding people the liberty to indulge.
The crowd was noisy, the music chaotic, and Han Mo didn’t notice anyone approaching until his shin was lightly kicked.
Han Mo’s knee trembled slightly, instantly waking him up, and he turned his head to look beside him.
Yan Yibing frowned, “Have I spoiled you too much lately? You’re here, but you didn’t even say hello?”
Han Mo’s throat rolled, and he whispered, “Bing Shen.”
He had intended to raise his glass to clink with Yan Yibing, as an apology, but as he lifted the glass, he remembered it was filled with water, and he awkwardly froze.
There are two types of people who call Yan Yibing Bing Shen. One is those who are not familiar with him but respect him, such as his fans or newcomers to esports, calling him Bing Shen is considered polite.
The other type is extremely familiar friends who can jest and tease him, and might call him Bing Shen during playful banter.
But Han Mo didn’t fit into either of these categories.
And this way of addressing him seemed a bit distant.
Yan Yibing reached out and took the glass of water from his hand, poured most of his own cocktail into it, and handed it back to him.
“Call me Captain from now on.”
Whether you call sooner or later, it’s all the same.
Han Mo was slightly stunned, cautiously sizing up Yan Yibing, his lips trembling slightly, feeling a bit awkward and embarrassed as he whispered, “Captain.”
After saying it, his scattered hair covered his eyes, and his face felt a bit hot.
He didn’t feel like he was ready to call Yan Yibing “Captain” yet, but he complied.
Yan Yibing’s mind was full of question marks.
Wasn’t it just a title of “Captain”?
Why did it make him feel like he was being called some embarrassing nickname?
“You drink.” For a moment, Yan Yibing didn’t know how to respond, so he just gestured towards the cocktail for Han Mo.
Han Mo glanced at the half-filled cocktail glass, without any hesitation, he clinked it against Yan Yibing’s glass, then drank it all in one go.
Yan Yibing: “….”
The little sapling can hold his liquor quite well?
Not as obedient as usual, huh?
Yan Yibing said, “Don’t just stand here alone, go join them.”
He felt like he was speaking in an old-fashioned manner in front of Han Mo, like educating a child.
Han Mo nodded, “Okay.” After answering, as if remembering something, he quickly added, “Captain.”
Yan Yibing had a drink with Han Mo and then left.
Not long after he left, everyone who wanted to toast came over.
Probably seeing that both he and Han Mo had drunk, they felt it was time, so everyone wanted to go first and hurriedly gathered around.
Yan Yibing, of course, gave face, and whoever wanted to drink with him, he drank with them.
The cocktails were also quite strong, and after drinking one after another, after about thirty toasts, Yan Yibing got drunk.
He became restless when drunk, his whole person became more lively.
His face was flushed, his body exuded the smell of alcohol, and he lazily leaned back on the sofa, his collar loosened, his sleeves wrinkled from being pressed.
“Let me tell you, as long as you all work hard, you will definitely have good results. I’m waiting for you to surpass me.”
His eyes were hazy, but he was still talking big, and the flush on his face spread to his neck and collarbones, contrasting with his white undershirt.
The others were also getting drunk.
Upon hearing Yan Yibing’s words, the whole crowd was energized, shouting loudly, “Surpass Bing Shen!”
“Win the world championship!”
“Become esports gods!”
Yan Yibing licked his lips, feeling thirsty, and wanted to reach for the glasses on the coffee table.
But before he could touch the glasses, he was suddenly held firmly by a stable force.
That palm was very warm, at least warmer than his own skin.
Yan Yibing was taken aback, raised his almond-shaped eyes, and tried hard to see who it was.
It was Han Mo.
Han Mo whispered softly, “Bing Shen, you’ve had too much drink.”
Yan Yibing breathed lightly, his chest rising and falling, his lips tinged with alcohol, his eyes flickering with clarity.
“I told you to call me Captain.”
Han Mo: “Captain, you’re going to have a headache tomorrow. Let’s call it a night.”
Yan Yibing didn’t mind being held by his wrist, and suddenly leaned over, closing the distance between him and Han Mo in an instant.
He found the lighting dim, his vision blurry, and he had to lean in to try to see Han Mo clearly.
Han Mo instantly stiffened, his eyes widening as he looked back at Yan Yibing.
His breath, his warmth, the fine, shallow fuzz on his face, his beautiful and delicate features, in an instant, all imprinted themselves on Han Mo’s heart.
Han Mo couldn’t help but swallow nervously.
Yan Yibing, on the other hand, said seriously, “Did you know what I said? Don’t look at me scolding you guys all the time, but whoever surpasses me on the leaderboard in the future, I’ll give them whatever they want.” He couldn’t help but smile.
Yan Yibing’s voice was light and ethereal, but it seemed to have cast some kind of enchanting spell that made people’s hearts tremble.
Han Mo’s voice was deep, “What’s the benefit of surpassing you?”
Yan Yibing breathed lightly, “Then you’ll be the esports god, you’ll have lots of fans, even female fans, a lot of pretty ones.”
Han Mo chuckled softly, looking directly into Yan Yibing’s eyes, and suddenly daringly added, “Pretty? I haven’t seen anyone prettier than Captain.”
Yan Yibing tilted his head, blinked his eyes, clearly not fully understanding the meaning of this sentence.
He smiled kindly, “If you surpass me, I’ll be your girl.”
Han Mo’s eyes were as deep as ink, suddenly leaning forward again, his nose almost touching Yan Yibing’s.
He whispered softly, “Okay, Captain, don’t forget.”
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🌼
