DSF Chapter 26

As Han Mo retracted the knife, Auntie Liang immediately climbed up from the ground. Ignoring the dirt on her, she angrily glared at Yan Yibing.

However, with Han Mo present, she dared not say anything. While glaring, she retreated to the well-lit area.

Yan Yibing sighed, “Auntie, I’ll have Liang Hefeng come to pick you up.”

Obviously, Auntie Liang had come without informing her son. She straightened her neck and said indifferently, “No need!”

Seeing that Han Mo didn’t make any further moves, Auntie Liang hurriedly ran off.

Her escape was quite awkward, her hair tousled by the wind like a bunch of withered grass.

Yan Yibing was momentarily stunned, only then realizing that his actions were a bit odd.

Han Mo crouched down. He held Han Mo’s back, kneeling on one knee as if… as if he were waiting for Han Mo to carry him.

In his mind, Yan Yibing silently cursed and then slowly loosened his hands from around Han Mo’s arms, retracting them from both sides of Han Mo’s body.

With a push against the ground, Yan Yibing stood up. He cleared his throat and whispered, “Why do you carry everything in your pockets?”

Han Mo’s overalls were definitely not worn in vain, resembling Doraemon’s pockets.

As Yan Yibing stepped away, a cool breeze swept across Han Mo’s back. He pursed his lips, pondered for a moment, and then stood up from the ground, tucking the keychain back into his pocket.

The prolonged crouching position made his calves a bit numb. As blood rushed back into the veins, the tingling sensation brought a slight frown to Han Mo’s face.

However, he remained silent, his gaze dropping to Yan Yibing’s left hand.

Earlier, he just exploded, but he didn’t expect that the injury on Yan Yibing’s hand was really caused by that person.

Yan Yibing uncomfortably clenched his fist, attempting to slip his hand into his pocket. However, his suit had fake pockets, and after two unsuccessful attempts, he awkwardly let go.

Running his tongue over his lower lip, Yan Yibing explained to himself, “She’s the mother of my good buddy of over ten years. She used to be nice to me, but she’s had some mental issues these past two years. I still have to call her.”

Han Mo coldly snorted.

Yan Yibing rubbed his nose, feeling that he had said something unnecessary.

He lowered his head, took out his phone, quickly dialed a number, and just as he was about to make the call, Han Mo suddenly spoke.

“As expected of a good buddy, you can even remember the phone number.”

Yan Yibing frowned, muttering while dialing, “What’s the problem? I can remember your phone number too.”

Having said that, he changed direction, focusing on waiting for the call to be answered.

However, this left Han Mo stunned. For a moment, he didn’t know how to react.

They hadn’t had any contact for almost two years, and Yan Yibing had mercilessly blocked him. So even in this situation, Yan Yibing still remembered his phone number?

No, the implication was, that when he was in Zero, Yan Yibing had already memorized his phone number?

Han Mo felt a bit uneasy in his heart, and the numbness in his legs was already beyond his concern.

He stared at Yan Yibing’s profile, watching the curled eyelashes tremble under the hazy light with each blink.

Was this person genuinely considerate, or simply blessed with a good memory?

Liang Hefeng answered the call, sounding somewhat surprised, “Ah Yan,¹Ah Yan: 阿言 (ā yán) is a nickname for Yan Yibing. “阿” (ā) is a prefix used to affectionately address someone, and “言” (yán) means “speech” or “words.” didn’t expect you to give me a call.”

The surroundings were too quiet, so Han Mo could hear whatever was being said on the phone.

Yan Yibing’s voice was calm but somewhat helpless, “Auntie came looking for me again, and my…,” he glanced at Han Mo before whispering, “my friend doesn’t know her and he is a bit fierce. Can you go pick her up?”

Fierce?

Han Mo raised an eyebrow.

Was he considered fierce just now?

Seeing that the crazy woman was older, he was almost calmly reasoning with her.

The little knife was no more than a finger long, and could only cut an orange at most. Yan Yibing actually thought he looked fierce in that manner.

Liang Hefeng fell silent for a moment and said hoarsely, “My mom is bothering you again, right, Ah Yan? I’m sorry; I can’t control her. You know, she’s from a small town, and she cares a lot about social status. Initially, she wasn’t willing for me to play esports. Later, when I didn’t make much of a name, she couldn’t bear me retiring and doing live streaming.”

Yan Yibing felt a bit bitter, feigning cheerfulness, “It’s okay; we’re old buddies. Just go pick her up, and be careful not to get into trouble.”

He was ready to end the call.

He had explained what needed to be explained, and that was enough.

His relationship with Liang Hefeng was indeed very good. They had been classmates since middle school, and Liang Hefeng had been like a foolish bodyguard, following him every day.

But later on… as people grew up, things inevitably changed.

He always felt that although their friendship was still good, it wasn’t the same as before, and not everything could be said.

Liang Hefeng, on the other hand, was eager, “We haven’t been in contact for a long time. Do you have time? Come to my livestream and duo with me. My livestream is doing really well now.”

Yan Yibing hesitated for a moment, “Okay, I have time.”

The “good” Liang Hefeng mentioned was incomparable to the popular professional players. If he went once, it would bring a lot of attention to Liang Hefeng.

“Do you have any time at all? Aren’t you playing in PCL?” Han Mo’s voice was cold, piercing through him without mercy.

Yan Yibing: “…”

On the other end of the phone, Liang Hefeng heard it. He fell silent for a moment and chuckled, “Is there someone else with you? It sounds a bit familiar.”

Yan Yibing vaguely said, “It’s that…”

Liang Hefeng, “Prince’s team captain, Han Mo?”

“Um.”

Since he had been recognized, Yan Yibing didn’t intend to hide it.

Han Mo, the captain of Prince, had touched PUBG at the age of sixteen or seventeen. After just a few months of playing, he received an invitation from the top-tier team Zero. In less than half a year at Zero, he was already considered a rare esports prodigy in the industry, a beacon of hope after Yan Yibing.

Later, he left Zero, and many people sighed at his wasting talent and life. However, he turned to another top team, Prince, and was directly appointed as the captain with a high salary.

Since then, Han Mo became the biggest threat to Zero, and at that time, almost everyone who played esports criticized Zero for being blind, letting go of Han Mo.

Therefore, being a genius means having the privilege to be willful and extravagant.

Liang Hefeng laughed bitterly, “I didn’t expect you two to still have contact. I forgot about professional players having to participate in PCL. If you’re busy, forget it.”

Yan Yibing whispered, “After PCL, let me know before your livestream, and we’ll duo then.”

He finished speaking and quickly hung up the phone.

He was afraid Han Mo would say something to provoke Liang Hefeng again.

Han Mo glanced at him, turned, and walked away, leaving behind a remark, “Looks like I meddled too much. You have such a good relationship, his mom scratches your hand, and you’re still willing to duo with him to bring traffic.”²Traffic in this context means attention, viewers or in the context of social media it means engagement

Yan Yibing hurriedly caught up, “What’s wrong with you? I’m just playing with him once. When you were in the youth training team, didn’t I duo with you a few times? Did I bring you traffic?”

After saying that, Yan Yibing felt a bit awkward.

Why was he acting like a silly straight guy trying to coax a jealous girlfriend?

No, Han Mo being jealous was damn unreasonable. They were both men, and it was just a duo, a small matter.

Besides, he had never duoed with Liang Hefeng before.

He started gaming late, but his progress was rapid. Once he became proficient, Liang Hefeng couldn’t keep up with him.

When he was young, he was truly ignorant, with a carefree mindset, merely wanting to team up with better players to climb the ranks.

At that time, ranking up didn’t hold any special meaning for him; it was like wanting to be the first in the final exams.

Later, as he matured a bit, Han Mo joined the youth training camp.

He played duo with Han Mo the most. Han Mo was very clever; a slight hint was enough for him to grasp quickly.

Gaming with Han Mo was incredibly smooth, their coordination seamless. He willingly took him under his wing.

Han Mo responded with a light “Oh.”

The slight imbalance in his heart was somewhat satisfied.

He believed Yan Yibing was telling the truth.

Someone as proud as Yan Yibing wouldn’t bother teaming up with a noob.

“Hand, show me,” Yan Yibing whispered behind him. Han Mo paused, subconsciously pressing down on the back of his right hand.

Just now, when he shook off that crazy woman, her sharp nails scratched his hand.

Yan Yibing probably saw it.

Without waiting for his consent, Yan Yibing reached out, grabbing his right arm. In the dim light of the streetlamp, he examined the back of his hand.

Han Mo’s hand was scratched, but there didn’t seem to be much blood. It was as if, after such a long time, the bloodstains had already dried up.

Now, only faint, blurry marks remained.

If Han Mo hadn’t intervened just now, this wound would be on Yan Yibing’s hand.

Yan Yibing’s Adam’s apple rolled, frowning, he asked, “Does this injury need a tetanus shot?”

Han Mo squinted, “Do you even know what tetanus is?”

Yan Yibing shook his head very calmly.

Han Mo gave up on rescuing his self-reliance, ” A band-aid will do. If you don’t have one, it’s fine. It’ll heal on its own.”

So, Yan Yibing took Han Mo to a small store near the neighborhood. After rummaging around and searching, he bought a box of band-aids.

The whole day had been very strange.

Two people who couldn’t get along, entangled in grievances, actually squeezed into the aisle of a small store, shopped together, and even fought over who would pay.

The store owner, seeing how good-looking they were, couldn’t help but strike up a conversation, “Are you actors?”

Recently, there were quite a few talent scouting activities in the city, specifically looking for good-looking young men to sign as trainees.

The store’s entrance faced a small commercial street, bustling with people. Yan Yibing didn’t even lift his eyelids and replied, “No.”

He tore open the packaging of the band-aid.

It’s too dark outside, but it’s a little brighter in the store. Since there weren’t many people around now, they wouldn’t be in the way.

The store owner commented, “Oh, college students, right?”

Yan Yibing paused, “Dropped out, didn’t attend.”

Both he and Han Mo were in the same situation. With esports, they couldn’t spare time for school.

The store owner sighed.

They looked so clean and handsome, yet they weren’t attending school.

It didn’t seem like they couldn’t afford it. It’s probably because of poor academic performance.

Unable to resist the urge to give advice from someone who had been there, the store owner earnestly said, “You can’t skip school. You still need to study; otherwise, how will you find a good job in the future? Without a good job, you won’t have a girlfriend. Nowadays, girls don’t just care about looks.”

Han Mo replied, “I don’t need a girlfriend.”

Yan Yibing countered, “Then make do with a guy.”

Both answered simultaneously. Yan Yibing was taken aback for a moment.

“Why don’t you need a girlfriend?”

Wait, Han Mo responding to such a pointless topic was out of character.

Wasn’t he someone who treated strangers like air?

Han Mo frowned, “Who do you want to make do with?”

Yan Yibing stammered, “…Just said it casually.”

After failing several blind dates, he felt a bit frustrated. When the shop owner mentioned something that hurt his pride, he couldn’t help but say that he could make do with a guy.

Han Mo, “Oh.”

Yan Yibing blinked. He felt like Han Mo hadn’t really answered his question.

But he didn’t ask again.

Most boys at this age were somewhat juvenile. Han Mo was probably preoccupied with the idea of becoming a world champion, and finding a girlfriend could wait.

Yan Yibing took out a band-aid and measured Han Mo’s wound with the padding in the middle.

He had lost a small piece of skin; it wasn’t particularly severe.

Yan Yibing carefully peeled off the adhesive film, placed the pad on Han Mo’s wound, and then carefully secured the tape.

During this process, he had to touch Han Mo’s hand and use his fingertips to press down the tape.

Han Mo lowered his gaze, observing Yan Yibing.

Yan Yibing was slightly shorter, with delicate features, a beautiful pair of almond-shaped eyes, double eyelids with faint creases, not too elongated at the ends, and thick, curled eyelashes.

His hair was a bit long, casually tied at the back of his head, but it didn’t look feminine, just neat.

Yan Yibing applied the band-aid as carefully as when he touched the keyboard, with agile and slender fingers.

Han Mo’s mouth went dry.

The store owner teased, “You two have a really good relationship.”

Han Mo instinctively retorted, “We’re not buddies.”

Yan Yibing paused in his movements and chuckled dumbly, “Well, we have some grudges. Today, we’re temporarily calling a truce.”

Han Mo frowned. He was about to clarify that he didn’t mean it that way, but his phone suddenly rang.

Yan Yibing had already released his hand, casually peeling off the plastic film and looking for a place to dispose of it.

Seeing the caller ID, Han Mo answered.

At this time, Chen Zefeng should be at the live broadcast event.

“Is something wrong?”

As soon as he opened his mouth, Chen Zefeng started shouting.

“Damn, Captain, do you know that androgynous little wildcat put his account up for sale on Xianyu? And you won’t believe how audacious he is; in the Xianyu introduction, he mentioned having you as a Steam friend and is asking for fifty thousand yuan!”

“This was just notified by a viewer in the live chat. I checked, and it’s true. Quite a few people are inquiring about the price now! Damn, this androgynous guy is really shameless. I have to expose which team he belongs to!”

Yan Yibing: “…”

Great.

This matter is not over yet.

Han Mo glanced meaningfully at Yan Yibing and then said casually, “Has it been sold?”

Chen Zefeng was bewildered, “Some fans want to buy it. I told them not to buy it. You quickly delete him as a friend. It infuriates me. We can’t let them profit from this!”

Han Mo earnestly said, “This account is high-ranked, has skins, and is also my friend. Fifty thousand is a reasonable price.”

Chen Zefeng was stunned, “Bro, you’re praising his conscience? He tricks us with the strategy of pretending to be a female fan. It’s a shame to the professional league, deceiving my feelings! Bah, it’s simply the shame of the league!”

Yan Yibing couldn’t help but cough a few times.

He couldn’t bear to listen any longer.

If it weren’t for the narrow hallway and Han Mo blocking the door, he would have slipped away long ago.

Hanging something on Xianyu, without even doing any advertising, could still be dug up by viewers. What kind of luck was this?

Han Mo calmly said, “Do me a favor. Go to Xianyu and buy this account for me. I’ll transfer the money to you later.”

Yan Yibing: “???”

Chen Zefeng: “Why are you buying it?”

Han Mo emphasized each word heavily, “The voice is so pleasant, buying it to keep it as a souvenir.”

Yan Yibing’s eyelids twitched, and his ears felt hot.

Damn.

He didn’t dare to defend himself at all, it was too uncomfortable.

After hanging up the phone, Han Mo looked at Yan Yibing and sincerely suggested, “Or, Bing Shen, sell it directly to me now?”

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Author’s Message:

Yan Yibing: Okay, please transfer the fifty thousand.

Han Mo: What are you saying? How much are you willing to sell yourself for?

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• 1
  Ah Yan: 阿言 (ā yán) is a nickname for Yan Yibing. “阿” (ā) is a prefix used to affectionately address someone, and “言” (yán) means “speech” or “words.”
• 2
  Traffic in this context means attention, viewers or in the context of social media it means engagement