DSF Chapter 121

Yan Yibing blacked out after drinking.

He had no idea what he said or did last night, who sent him back to the club, nothing.

But he didn’t need to know.

Rubbing his temples, Yan Yibing endured the dizziness and staggered towards the bathroom to take a shower.

He hadn’t washed anything yesterday before going to bed, and there was still a faint smell of alcohol on him.

So he took a thorough shower, brushed his teeth meticulously, applied body wash and facial cleanser, and the scent of alcohol disappeared without a trace.

Feeling refreshed, he pushed open the door and headed to the training room.

After several hours of practice, when he went to the team canteen for lunch, he heard from Sun Tianjiao that they were evaluating the performance of the youth training camp and planned to send some people away next week.

Yan Yibing’s movement of scooping his porridge paused slightly, his eyes drooping, nodding gently.

“I got it.”

It was all too normal, after all. The esports industry evolves rapidly, requiring high talent, and the pain during tactical exercises far outweighs the pleasure.

Eliminations and changes, the rise and fall of stars, were happening all the time. And there were still many players, like the bottom ten who were about to be eliminated, who hadn’t had a chance to shine and were swallowed up by the vast talent market.

Although it was normal, it was still hard to let go.

Because those faces were too young, as young as he was back then, as young as Liang Hefeng, who left with regrets, full of sadness.

Moreover, because of a whim, he had spent some time with them after all.

Even though some people were closer, some were more distant, in the end, they couldn’t be treated as strangers.

Yan Yibing said lightly, “Then I won’t go to the youth training camp this week.”

He didn’t want to see people leave.

Sun Tianjiao sighed understandingly, “Zuzong, you are actually a very gentle person, even though you never admit it.”

Yan Yibing didn’t raise his eyes, picked out the green onions from the beef porridge on his plate, and said disdainfully, “Don’t gross me out.”

Sun Tianjiao snorted, “I rarely get sentimental.”

This week, Yan Yibing really didn’t go to the youth training camp, not even bothering with Han Mo.

Without the need for extra coaching for the little saplings, Yan Yibing saved a lot of time.

So did he take this time to rest?

Of course not.

Because his mother had added the WeChat of a high school classmate for him, saying that the classmate had successfully received an offer from the University of Pennsylvania and was preparing to study abroad.

Before going abroad, there was only one unfinished wish, and she wanted to ask Yan Yibing about it.

After all, when Yan Yibing ran away to play esports at the age of seventeen, he left in a hurry, without saying goodbye to the female classmates who secretly admired him.

The female classmate just wanted to ask, “Was it a moral decline or a human nature to abandon everything you had achieved, to give up the admission notice from Qingbei that was within easy reach, to give up the opportunity to leave a mark in history, and to choose the esports path that brought quick money and fame?”

Yan Yibing: “….”

The female classmate earnestly said, “Bro, my graduation thesis ‘A Comparative Analysis of Wealth and Human Nature and Its Contemporary Significance’ depends on you, please, pretty please.”

Yan Yibing reluctantly accepted the interview from the female classmate.

Female classmate: “What does money represent to you?”

Yan Yibing deadpanned, “Medium of exchange.”

Female classmate: “How do you view the social phenomenon where highly educated talents cannot earn the same salary as esports players and entertainers?”

Yan Yibing: “Not my concern.”

Female classmate: “How did you decisively give up everything you had, throw yourself into the turning point of your life, and venture into esports regardless of the consequences?”

Yan Yibing sighed, “I was deceived. Our manager is a slick talker, an outstanding negotiator, a future star lost by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.”

Female classmate: “If given another chance, would you choose—”

Yan Yibing: “We’re all educated people. If something like this happens again, we’ll have to wait until we can break the speed of light and reverse time to talk about it. Of course, if what old man Einstein said is true.”

The lower-ranking players left the youth training camp within a week.

The training camp became much more spacious, with room for everyone to put down their water cups and backpacks.

With fewer people, the computer room wasn’t as hot, and even the smell improved a lot.

Han Mo waited for Yan Yibing for a week but he didn’t show up.

He felt a little lost, disheartened, and his heart was heavy.

But he didn’t understand the root of this emotion, or how to dissipate it.

He listed all his current worries, pondering over each one, but none seemed to hit the mark.

Until one day, he inexplicably played back the few moments he and Yan Yibing spent together, and then he felt a slight tremor in his heart, his chest vibrating, a tingling sensation spreading from his limbs to the top of his head, and then subtly scratching at his heart over and over.

He missed him so much that only hearing his voice could make him sleep soundly.

His favorite was that drunken phrase—

“If you surpass me, I’ll be your girl.”

Every time he heard it, he felt blood rushing to his chest, a thread of sweetness slowly spreading, like a warm armor, wrapping up his saddest, most fragile, and coldest past, protecting him from prying eyes.

He must have fallen in love with Yan Yibing.

Han Mo wasn’t someone who acted rashly.

He preferred to think calmly, plan carefully, endure humiliation and bear burdens.

But he was still young, not yet seventeen.

He finally couldn’t bear it and stepped out of the youth training camp’s activities on his own initiative.

He knew that Yan Yibing liked sweet things, liked drinking overly sweet Snowtop coffee that made people uncomfortable.

Han Mo saved his meal allowance, bought two cups of Snowtop coffee, and then casually wandered to the official team member’s activity area.

As he walked, he thought about what to say, casually mentioning that there was a promotion, buy one get one free, and asked Yan Yibing if he wanted one, then added nonchalantly, when would he come back to the junior training camp to watch him play games.

But when he arrived at the team members’ activity area, he found Yan Yibing chatting with the manager and Fu Haifeng.

Sun Tianjiao: “Is that high school female classmate of yours still bothering you?”

Yan Yibing listlessly responded with an “Mm.”

Sun Tianjiao: “Geez, she’s really going to dissect you completely, trying to dig out a little bit of not-so-glamorous stuff from your pure and worldly soul.”

Yan Yibing glanced at him sideways. “She’s always been like this. Back then, I was the sports committee member, and she was the study committee member, and she—”

Sun Tianjiao teased, “Hmm, quite a match.”

Fu Haifeng: “Maybe she’s interested in you and trying to get close to you.”

Han Mo’s hand holding the Snowtop Coffee tightened, his face suddenly pale, his lips stretched a bit ugly.

Yan Yibing was twenty-one.

He must have liked some girls by now.

Even if he hadn’t, he must have been pursued by many girls.

How could he accept this kind of thing, how could he possibly accept it?

To come and like him so recklessly, wouldn’t it just cause him trouble?

Yan Yibing had no idea about Han Mo’s complex teenage heart. He caught sight of Han Mo out of the corner of his eye, his eyes brightening, and beckoned him over. “Come here.”

Han Mo originally wanted to leave quietly, but since he was called over, he could only grit his teeth and go over.

“Captain.”

Yan Yibing didn’t even ask him why he left the youth training camp to come here. Instead, he raised his eyebrows in surprise. “Do you also like drinking Snowtop coffee?”

Han Mo paused slightly, looking down at the drink in his hand, hesitating and hesitating. “It’s… okay.”

Yan Yibing’s eyes showed a hint of envy. “I only buy one cup at a time, you kids really don’t know how to control yourselves.”

A certain thought flashed through Han Mo’s mind. He took out a cup and pushed it towards Yan Yibing, whispering, “Promotion, free one. Captain, have it.”

Yan Yibing’s eyes lit up. “Really?”

Actually, when he asked, his hand had already naturally reached out to take it.

Han Mo: “Mm.”

His heart sank to the bottom, not wanting to hear them discussing anything about female classmates. Just as he was about to leave, Yan Yibing stopped him again.

Yan Yibing casually asked, “I didn’t go to the youth training camp this week. How’s your sniping practice going?”

Han Mo hadn’t expected Yan Yibing to bring up this matter first, slightly taken aback, then replied, “It’s okay.”

Yan Yibing nodded, his expression becoming more serious. “Alright, I’ll check tomorrow.”

Han Mo: “….”

The next day, Yan Yibing really went to check Han Mo’s practice.

The coach was proud. “With the new scientific training method I’ve researched, combined with the new simulated training system developed by IT, Han Mo’s sniper skills have improved significantly! Honestly, although his position should be a first entry fragger, but now he’s not dragging behind when it comes to sniping.”

Yan Yibing smiled when he heard that. “He learns things pretty quickly.”

Coach: “He remembers fast too, almost everything I say he won’t forget.”

Under the intense gaze of the two, Han Mo opened the game, entered the practice ground, and played solo.

Ten minutes later, he was sniped to death by someone else.

Coach: “….”

Yan Yibing: “….”

Han Mo: “….”

Actually, Han Mo usually practices quite well, and indeed, as the coach praised, his sniping has improved significantly, and his accuracy has also become much stronger.

But with Yan Yibing standing behind him, the faint, dry scent of laundry detergent wafting over, Han Mo couldn’t help but feel guilty.

For that unspoken feeling.

He was prone to distraction, but in the game, sometimes distraction was simply not tolerated.

Yan Yibing kicked the back of his chair in frustration. “Is it because I didn’t open the door properly today?”

Han Mo bit his lip, his lips turning white from the pressure, and with difficulty squeezed out a low voice, “Captain.”

Other junior trainees around them turned their heads in their direction.

They saw Yan Yibing getting angry, and heard Han Mo’s guilt-ridden and frustrated “Captain.”

Captain?

This title was a bit closer and sounded nicer than “Bing Shen.”

Well, the first batch of people had been eliminated, and they had been at Zero for a month already. Calling him Bing Shen did feel a bit unfamiliar.

Unexpectedly, this kid Han Mo was quite clever.

A bunch of teenagers, where would they have such subtle thoughts to guess that Yan Yibing had asked Han Mo to call him that.

But titles and nicknames spread the fastest.

At first, only Han Mo called him that, but later others gradually changed their address to “Captain.”

In the end, everyone affectionately called Yan Yibing “Captain,” and no one knew how it started.

Yan Yibing noticed that Han Mo’s recent mood was off.

Although his performance had always been stable, it seemed like his stress-induced anxiety was getting worse.

In front of him, there were either eyes full of hidden bitterness and suppressed pain, or a cold and polite demeanor, without the excitement and joy he used to show, as if he were seeing an idol.

Puberty?

Yan Yibing couldn’t figure it out.

Until one day, he went to the youth training camp again, intending to check Han Mo’s score, but was stopped halfway by a youth trainee.

The youth trainee grinned, “Captain, it’s my birthday today. Can I have a signed poster?”

Yan Yibing had a good temper and personality. Upon hearing this, he immediately agreed, “Sure.”

The youth trainee said, “Thank you, Captain!”

Yan Yibing didn’t know why these guys had tacitly started calling him “Captain.”

But he couldn’t be bothered to correct them.

But in a moment, he saw Han Mo hanging his head, his eyes filled with unmistakable disappointment.

Yan Yibing’s heart shook.

Why was Han Mo unhappy?

He hadn’t seemed like this just now, was it because of what this youth trainee said?

Yan Yibing checked Han Mo’s score, which was still good, his performance was stable, and his rank on the NA server was getting higher and higher.

He casually asked, “When’s your birthday?”

Han Mo: “February 10th.”

Yan Yibing felt a bit regretful; it had already passed.

But he whispered, “Then wait until next year, or when you’re eighteen, and I’ll give you a special gift.”

Han Mo’s fingers rested on the keyboard, his mature back looking straight and strong, the lines of his neck softening at the clavicle.

“Okay, thank you.”

Yan Yibing felt awkward hearing this.

After a moment’s thought, he realized there was no object.

Han Mo hadn’t called him Captain.

Just in time for lunch break, the entire youth training camp put down their mice, stretched their necks, stood up, and gradually went out to eat.

Everyone who came to Yan Yibing’s side would greet him warmly.

“Captain, I’m going to eat.”

“Captain, see you in the afternoon.”

“Captain, you look really handsome today.”

Yan Yibing greeted each person, but when he turned his head, he saw Han Mo’s expression, which he couldn’t hide in time.

That expression was too much like when he was a child, forced by his parents to share snacks with other kids.

Clearly unwilling, but constrained by courtesy, by parental authority, by conventions, traditional virtues, he had to share what belonged to him, and pretend to be willing, selfless, and great.

That expression seemed to silently complain.

I thought I was special, able to call you Captain. Why can they all do it? Did you also give my dessert to someone else?

Yan Yibing: “….”

The emotions in Han Mo’s eyes vanished in an instant, and he turned his head.

If it were two years later, when he was more mature, Yan Yibing would never have noticed his subtle psychological fluctuations.

Nor would he have noticed his remaining bit of childishness, immaturity, possessiveness.

But he was still young after all.

Yan Yibing chuckled to himself, finding the thoughts of teenagers truly inexplicable.

But this kind of amusement quickly turned into a sense of helplessness.

He said, “Han Mo, from now on, call me Master.”

Han Mo was stunned, then his eyes showed joy of regaining something lost.

Not just regaining something lost.

He was initially given a sesame seed, and when everyone had already obtained this sesame seed, he was then rewarded with a watermelon.

Yan Yibing had never seen his eyes shine like they did at this moment, as if a radiant beam of light pierced through the dense black night, breaking through the clouds.

Han Mo’s voice was very soft, his Adam’s apple rolling slightly, as if it had been finely chewed before being released from his throat.

He called out, “Master.”

Yan Yibing, listening to the sincere and cautious “Master” from the inexperienced youth, felt a bit embarrassed and shy inside.

He cleared his throat and made an excuse for himself, “I’ve never had to put in so much effort to mentor someone before. If you don’t call me ‘Master,’ it would be unfair to all my unpaid overtime.”

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