Yan Yibing glanced at Song Tang’s indignant appearance, and chuckled, his almond eyes narrowing slightly. “How long ago was that? Thanks for caring about me.”
Song Tang helplessly said, “Captain, you’re just too stubborn yet soft-hearted. It’s okay if we don’t arrange practice matches with them. This little difficulty is nothing we can’t overcome.”
Xu Rui, reminded by Song Tang, quickly added, “Exactly, we’ll definitely beat them.”
Fu Haifeng remained silent but it was clear that he agreed with Song Tang and Xu Rui.
After a few seconds of silence, Yan Yibing raised his hand to stop the physiotherapist’s actions, got off the bed, pulled at his collar, and said concisely, “Alright, listen to me. Prepare well for the practice match on Friday.”
With that, he pressed his neck and left the physiotherapy room expressionlessly.
Song Tang watched Yan Yibing leave and sighed slightly.
Xu Rui looked at Song Tang and muttered, “It seems like the captain really doesn’t care. Let’s forget it. It saves us the trouble of studying the recordings.”
Fu Haifeng snorted, “You don’t understand. He’s the captain. Despite his usual easy-going demeanor and kindness to everyone, he never gave himself the privilege of being willful.”
Song Tang murmured, “Yes, Han Mo gave him a way out, and the captain will definitely agree. He can’t bear to see us make an effort for nothing.”
Song Tang cursed under his breath, picked up his phone, and sent a private message to Han Mo.
In a rather unfriendly tone, he bluntly typed, “You’re really damn awesome.”
Soon, Han Mo replied with a “?”.
Han Mo’s WeChat profile picture was an all-black cat with amber eyes.
The cat stood on the balcony, its pupils contracting tightly, eyebrows furrowed, displaying a cold and proud posture as if ready to pounce.
The last chat Song Tang had with him was inquiring about Yan Yibing’s hand injury.
But Han Mo hadn’t told him anything.
Song Tang quickly typed a line of words, “Stop pretending to be clueless. You understand perfectly well. You’re taking advantage of the fact that Captain will eventually soften towards you. You’re pushing it. It was the same during the exhibition match, and it’s the same now.”
The reason Prince and Zero ended up like this was all because of Han Mo. Why should everything be fine just because he said they should reconcile now?
The WeChat screen displayed “Typing…”, and Song Tang waited for quite a while.
Han Mo: “Did you bring up the exhibition match to him?”
Song Tang: “What’s it to you? You also know it’s shameful to bring it up?”
Song Tang: “You want to pass over this without even saying sorry. Does the captain deserve to be humiliated by you?”
Song Tang: “Our captain agreed for the sake of the team, but don’t think the past doesn’t exist. If he didn’t protect you, do you think you could smoothly play as Han Shen now?” Song Tang sent a bunch of messages, not expecting much of a reply from Han Mo.
Given Han Mo’s temper, he was just venting his own dissatisfaction.
To Song Tang’s surprise, Han Mo quickly replied with three words, “I know.”
Song Tang had initially prepared hundreds of insulting and mocking words, but seeing these three words, he instantly deflated.
He raised his gun ready to fight the enemy, but the enemy surrendered?
Lame.
Wait, was this the Han Mo he knew?
Han Mo threw his phone onto the bed, letting Song Tang continue scolding him.
He raised his hand and took off his long-sleeved sweatshirt, revealing his taut and flexible abdominal muscles.
At his age, he was in his prime, with a strong body and abundant energy.
Every inch of his muscles was beautiful; even a random photo could be posted on a modeling website.
Han Mo walked into the bathroom, raised his hand, and turned on the shower.
The slightly cold water mercilessly poured over him. Feeling the slightly low temperature, his body naturally tensed. On his arms, the muscular lines appeared and disappeared with the movements as he washed his face.
Han Mo opened his eyes, calmly feeling the water temperature change from cold to warm, and his body temperature gradually recovered.
He raised his hand and glanced at the band-aid Yan Yibing had personally applied to him.
He deliberately wrapped a layer of plastic wrap around it to ensure the water wouldn’t soak the band-aid because the edges of the band-aid seemed to retain the touch of Yan Yibing’s fingertips.
He was reluctant. He might not have a chance to touch his hand again.
Unfortunately, no matter how carefully protected, it was challenging to preserve the imprint of that night.
The water gradually penetrated the plastic wrap, and the tape of the band-aid finally couldn’t withstand the dampness.
In no time, the tape could no longer stick to the skin, and his wound had turned white from being covered, if he stuck the band-aid a bit longer, it would easily breed bacteria.
After taking a shower, he had no choice but to remove the band-aid.
Han Mo took a deep breath, biting down on his cheek fiercely, the piercing pain helping him stay calm.
When the supervisor had said, “Bing Shen won’t pursue it,” Han Mo knew that Yan Yibing was protecting him.
Although it was just an exhibition match, humiliating opponents had severe consequences, and at the very least, there would be public punishments on major platforms.
If it truly leaked out, it would be a permanent stain on his professional career.
In fact, what he did was to give Yan Yibing a chance to retaliate against him.
Yan Yibing could have sought revenge, and Han Mo was willing to endure it because certain parts of his body seemed to be programmed for self-destruction. The program told him that harming this person would come at a cost.
However, nothing happened.
During Friday’s practice match, CNG opened a custom server. Without much ado, more than ten teams sequentially entered the training square.
Waiting for the one-hundred-second countdown, Yu Yan opened the microphone and chuckled, “Screenshots taken, a historic moment.”
From his perspective, he could see Yan Yibing and Han Mo on the opposite side, separated by the grassy field.
CNG’s Lu Jianghe added, “Screenshot +1, a century in the same frame.”
AXE’s Chen Yan remarked, “Screenshots! Why are you guys behaving like bystanders instigating confessions in college? No sense of sophistication.”
Lie Hu’s Fang Rui joined in, “Same screenshot, took me a while to find them.”
AXE’s Chen Chi added, “Useless bunch, I’ve already posted it on Weibo.”
Yu Yan said, “Haha, Dad posted on Moments a second earlier. Don’t choose the drop point yet, give Dad a like.”
Yan Yibing commented, “You guys have too much free time.”
The practice match wasn’t as serious as official competitions. At most, everyone familiarized themselves with the feel, experiencing the competition on the same map.
Some teams even kept their public microphones open, chatting in place after eliminating opponents.
In Y City, Chen Zefeng’s grenade killed Xu Rui.
Seeing the ID with a Zero prefix, Chen Zefeng couldn’t help but say on the mic, “I’m almost moved to tears. No more words, once a friend, always a friend.”
The next moment, Song Tang shot him down from the rooftop, saying, “Friends die together.”
Chen Zefeng’s health bar depleted, “…Vice Captain Song has a strong temper, be careful, our captain is aiming his gun.”
Song Tang said, “Hehe, that’s what I’ve been waiting for.”
But the next second, he quickly changed his position to prevent Han Mo from taking him down.
Hiding in a corner, Song Tang drank a few bottles of energy drinks.
Mo Bei shot through the window at Song Tang’s hiding spot, tossing a Molotov cocktail over.
“Brother Song Tang, don’t run, your little brother has been waiting for you for a long time.”
Fu Haifeng threw a smoke grenade, assisting Song Tang in escaping, then sprayed a few shots to force Mo Bei away.
“Little brother, out of meds? No vehicle? Why not run away now?”
Xiao Nuo shouted, “Let’s go, go, go! Zero took control of the vehicle, and quickly ran from the poison zone!”
Mo Bei gritted his teeth, shook off Fu Haifeng and Song Tang, and ran.
He dared not open the public mic again. If the direction of his voice was exposed, he would be a dead man.
AXE won the chicken dinner in this practice match.
But in reality, who won the chicken dinner wasn’t important; they cared more about the process.
That night, they played ten matches in the practice session, and each team had its moments of brilliance.
Although no one would admit it verbally, tonight’s practice matches featured the most complete lineup in domestic esports, providing a comfortable playing experience.
Even the members of Prince and Zero were comfortable.
Despite their usual banter and rivalry, they had no personal grudges. They were confident in each other’s skills and occasionally gathered for a drink. After all the practice matches were over, it was already past one in the morning.
CNG Lu Jianghe said, “That’s it, brothers. Our team is going for a midnight snack; we’re too hungry.”
AXE Chen Chi added, “Go ahead. I’m out too; my hands are sore.”
Yan Yibing asked, “Everything okay?”
AXE’s Chen Chi replied, “No problem, just the usual. I’ll get a massage later.”
Yan Yibing said, “Don’t practice too hard. Let Zero take the PCL championship, okay?”
AXE’s Chen Chi retorted, “Get lost! After PCL, if everyone’s free, let’s use the cruise vouchers the league gave us and go out for a trip.”
CNG’s Yu Yan chimed in, “Look at my girlfriend.”
Yan Yibing corrected, “Wake up, ex-girlfriend.”
CNG’s Yu Yan teased, ” “Dad hasn’t disciplined you for a few days, and you’re rebelling?”
Yan Yibing retorted, “Idiot.”
Lie Hu’s Fang Rui said, “Goodbye, off to bed. Going to meet the mother-in-law tomorrow.”
Song Tang: “???”
Xiao Nuo: “???”
CNG Lu Jianghe: “???”
Lie Hu’s Fang Rui laughed, “Damn, mother-in-law, I’m out.”
After some banter in the group, Yan Yibing lazily leaned back on his bed.
His fans had sent him a large pillow that was as tall as a person, although it occupied half of his bed most of the time. It was quite comfortable to lean against, especially during critical moments.
It was almost two in the morning.
Yan Yibing, with nothing better to do, scrolled through his Moments.
Sure enough, every team had posted pictures, capturing the moment when he and Han Mo’s IDs appeared simultaneously.
Professional players were quick with their reactions, and the likes poured in rapidly. Each Moments post had no less than seventy to eighty likes.
Yan Yibing glanced at it for a few seconds and muttered, “A bunch of idle people.”
However, as he casually scrolled, he noticed a yellow-eyed black cat icon in the likes section.
Yan Yibing questioned, “?”
He checked several Moments posts with screenshots. Among the dozens of likes, there was a silhouette of a yellow-eyed black cat in each.
Yan Yibing couldn’t believe it. He returned to the professional league player group and found Han Mo’s profile picture.
Yes, in the entire league, only Han Mo used this dark profile picture.
But since when did Han Mo become so fond of joining in the fun?
He was still in confusion when his phone vibrated.
The yellow-eyed black cat sent him a WeChat message.
【Little Beast: Arm got scratched. Do you have a band-aid?】
Yan Yibing raised an eyebrow lightly, staring at the WeChat interface for a moment before his fingers moved.
【ICE: Did the entire Prince team’s medical staff resign?】
Han Mo quickly replied.
【Little Beast: Not in the club, at home.】
Home, meaning Yan Yibing’s neighborhood.
【ICE: I’m at the club, find a store yourself.】
【Little Beast: It’s 2 am; the stores are closed.】
【ICE: Make use of delivery services.】
【Little Beast: I feel sorry for the delivery guy taking orders at night.】
【ICE: ??? When in doubt, turn to quantum mechanics.】
【Little Beast: I’ll come to find you. Don’t come up; just give me a band-aid.】
Yan Yibing sat up, furrowing his brows.
【ICE: Is the wound deep?】
Han Mo looked at the small scratch on his arm, calmly replying—
【Little Beast: It’s okay, but I’m afraid it might get infected without a band-aid.】
【ICE: …】
【Little Beast: I’m heading out. Won’t disturb you much. Just leave it outside for me to pick up.】
【ICE: What the…?】
Originally, Yan Yibing felt a bit regretful, thinking the nickname he gave Han Mo was too childish.
Now, he had no regrets at all.
After more than twenty minutes, Yan Yibing was drinking pre-sleep oat milk when his phone vibrated again.
【Little Beast: I’m here.】
Yan Yibing looked at the WeChat message, and rubbed his head in annoyance, making his already somewhat curly hair even messier.
What’s wrong with Han Mo? With the time it took him to drive here, he could have found ten 24-hour convenience stores.
Yan Yibing set down the oat milk, opened a drawer, and glanced at the box of band-aids he bought that night.
He paid for the band-aids, so naturally, he kept the change.
He thought this box of band-aids would sit in his drawer gathering dust, but he didn’t expect to use it again so soon.
Well, at least it wasn’t a waste for Han Mo.
With that in mind, Yan Yibing picked up a box of band-aids, threw on a sweater, and headed out.
The lobby was quiet. Other players were either busy or sleeping, and the security guard at the door was dozing off on the table.
Not wanting to disturb anyone, Yan Yibing quietly unlocked the door, pushed it open, and closed it silently.
The night was still a bit chilly. He took a deep breath of the frosty air and looked around.
Not far away, a figure dressed in black stood quietly by the trees.
Han Mo had a good figure and, a tall stature. Leaning against the tree, the lamplight cast a diagonal beam, and the shadows of the branches trembled on him, creating a mottled effect.
It looked like a picturesque scene.
Yan Yibing squinted for a moment, and he had to admit, Han Mo was becoming more outstanding as he grew older.
From a purely male perspective, quite a few people would envy Han Mo’s looks.
Yan Yibing extended his hand, shaking the box of band-aids.
“Come and get it.”
Han Mo bit his lip, bumped against the tree trunk, and used the recoil to stand upright, instantly gaining a bit more height.
He strode towards Yan Yibing, ascended four steps, leaving one step, and leveled his gaze with Yan Yibing’s eyes.
“Thanks, Bing Shen.”
Yan Yibing assessed him, then lifted his chin. “Where’s the wound?”
Han Mo paused for a moment, his eyes flickering, and then he pulled up his sleeve, revealing his arm.
In the faint light of the lamp and the gentle moonlight, Yan Yibing saw a thin mark.
There was a trace of blood on the scratch, or at least it seemed like blood. After all, the sky was dark, and he couldn’t see very clearly.
However…
Yan Yibing remained expressionless. “If you came any later, would it have solidified?”
Han Mo, without any guilt, said, “Drew it with a mechanical pencil, afraid it was poisoned.”
Yan Yibing found it amusing.
Professionals like them rarely even touched a ballpoint pen, let alone a pencil.
Over the years, his handwriting had deteriorated beyond recognition.
So Yan Yibing teased him, “What, Han Shen preparing for the college entrance exam?”
Han Mo, with an unchanged face, said, “Practicing calligraphy.”
Yan Yibing couldn’t be bothered to expose him and simply stuffed the band-aid into his arms. “Alright, go back.”
Han Mo’s eyes trembled slightly, his eyelids drooped, and even his expression softened a lot. “Help me put it on, my hand is not convenient.”
Yan Yibing’s gaze fell on his arm; indeed, it was inconvenient with one hand.
Regardless of how Han Mo got injured, it had nothing to do with him.
But since he had already given the band-aid, he didn’t mind putting on another one.
“Give me your arm.”
Yan Yibing took out the small box, pulled out a strip, tore off the film, and applied the band-aid to Han Mo’s arm.
While applying it, he had to get a little closer, lowering his head, and breathing lightly.
Han Mo caught a whiff of a sweet scent of oat milk.
The fragrance permeated the air, lingering around his nostrils.
He stared at Yan Yibing’s delicate side profile under the moonlight and the disheveled strands hanging on his earlobes. He couldn’t help it; his Adam’s apple rolled lightly.
Author’s Message:
Han Mo: There, it’s sweet, he likes drinking milk.
Yan Yibing: Sorry, no one understands.
Thank you for reading! 
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