DSF Chapter 54

Yan Yibing blinked, glancing at Han Mo, who was diligently massaging his muscles.

In the past, he would have comfortably enjoyed Han Mo’s service, secretly pleased that he had chosen such a good disciple.

But now… he felt that Han Mo was being a bit too attentive.

Yan Yibing winced as Han Mo’s hands worked on him, his legs twitching.

His legs were quite attractive, the calf muscles slender and free of excess flesh.

Han Mo held onto his ankle, preventing him from pulling away. “Bear with it; otherwise, it won’t be effective.”

Yan Yibing licked his dry lips, feeling a mix of embarrassment and soreness. Suddenly, he didn’t want Han Mo to massage him anymore.

If his mother saw this scene, she would definitely scold him for bullying others.

He had never realized before that he might have been a little too hard on Han Mo.

“Hey, do you like that photo so much?” Yan Yibing, now dried off from the thin layer of sweat, his breathing steady, asked Han Mo thoughtfully.

“Yeah,” Han Mo responded without much thought.

Yan Yibing sighed, “Then you should have gone to get it earlier; you almost forgot about it.”

It turned out Han Mo also wanted to keep a memento. No wonder he was so grateful to him.

Before Han Mo could speak, Yan Yibing’s phone vibrated.

Yan Yibing reached for his phone and saw it was a call from Sun Tianjiao.

He answered, but the signal on the mountain was weak, causing Sun Tianjiao’s voice to distort.

“Zuzong, how’s the game going?” Sun Tianjiao’s enthusiasm blasted through the distorted voice. Every time this happened, Yan Yibing knew Sun Tianjiao was about to talk business.

“Yeah, not bad,” Yan Yibing lazily responded, sneaking a glance at Han Mo.

This time, their relationship had been repaired quite well during the outing. Maybe they could become friends in the future.

“Oh, I envy you. I, as a lonely person, am still working hard for the team. Be careful while you’re out playing. If you accidentally get hurt, I’ll take a gas canister and go down with Prince, CNG, AXE in flames.” Sun Tianjiao nagged like an old mother.

There was no way around it. The most precious treasure in the team happened to be a carefree fool.

“What nonsense are you talking about? What do you want from me?” Yan Yibing chuckled.

Sun Tianjiao’s voice was not low, and Han Mo definitely heard it.

But Han Mo showed no reaction to the mention of Prince by Sun Tianjiao and continued to massage Yan Yibing’s calf muscles firmly.

“Ah! Ouch, ouch…” Yan Yibing took in a sharp breath, pressing his palm against Han Mo’s hand to prevent him from exerting more force.

Han Mo maintained the same posture, not moving.

“Zuzong, what’s wrong with you?” Sun Tianjiao asked anxiously.

Yan Yibing kept his hand on Han Mo’s, not letting go, and replied to Sun Tianjiao, “It’s nothing. Go ahead and tell me.”

Sun Tianjiao regained focus, gleefully saying, “Aren’t you participating in the East Asia Championship? I secured a quarterly endorsement for us, the Qiyu Peak series. It’s a high-end trendy brand, very stylish, and the endorsement fee is not low. I’m quite satisfied with it.”

Yan Yibing chuckled, “If you’ve confirmed it, then it’s fine. You don’t need to consult me on these matters.”

He trusted Sun Tianjiao’s professionalism, and the brand did have a good reputation. However, their series mostly featured dark colors, so Yan Yibing hadn’t worn them much.

Now he felt that dark colors weren’t so bad after all.

Seeing he had no objections, Sun Tianjiao continued, “By the way, let me tell you something funny. As everyone knows, the East Asia Championship involves four top players, attracting a lot of attention. So, many businesses have approached me for collaboration these days. Among them, there’s one that surprised me; it seems they are complete amateurs. I felt embarrassed to turn them down.”

Yan Yibing released Han Mo’s hand, switched the phone to the other hand, and asked, “What happened?”

Sun Tianjiao said, “There’s this budget sportswear brand called ‘Han Shi.’ They probably noticed the esports hype in recent years and decided to release an esports-themed sportswear line. They wanted to hire top esports players to promote—not endorse—oh, they seemed to look down on esports players, saying endorsements should only go to celebrities.”

“Heh,” Yan Yibing chuckled softly.

They seemed quite unfamiliar with the market.

If they were specifically launching an esports line, the cost-effectiveness of hiring celebrities over esports players was much lower.

The fans of the celebrities might not necessarily play esports or buy the merchandise. However, the die-hard fans of esports teams would certainly go for the same gear as their favorite players.

At the mention of the name, Han Mo’s eyelids twitched imperceptibly.

Sun Tianjiao continued, “And you know what? The CEO is incredibly arrogant. Damn, they offered me two million, proposing an annual promotion deal, including ten live broadcasts, ten Weibo advertisements, and participation in various events, blah blah blah.”

Yan Yibing could imagine Sun Tianjiao’s expression at that moment.

Enraged, Sun Tianjiao set aside the shy demeanor she adopted when facing her sugar daddy and slammed the table, shouting, “I’m your uncle! If you don’t have money, get lost!”

Sun Tianjiao continued, “I made him lose his temper completely. I just smiled, presented the approximate prices and commercial status of the brands we’ve signed before. You won’t believe what happened next. This idiot actually thought I was deceiving him, claiming that esports players aren’t worth that much.”

Yan Yibing found it amusing. He put his leg down from the armrest, pulled Han Mo, and gestured for him to sit beside him.

“So, did you kick him out?” he asked.

Sun Tianjiao smirked, “Why bother kicking him out? He said, ‘It’s not like Zero is the only one participating in the competition.’ I reckon he probably went to annoy CNG, Prince, and AXE right after. Just thinking about the expressions on the faces of the managers of these three teams makes me happy.

Yu Yan just bought a house in a prestigious school district, right? Ding Luo’s family runs a chain of restaurants; he doesn’t feel much pressure, right? He’s probably busy making money right now.

And Chen Chi, he’s a quiet and greedy man. Hearing this price, wouldn’t he be spitting blood?

Especially Han Mo, that cold expression of his. Ah, just imagine if he told Prince that esports players aren’t worth the money, only suitable for promotions. Hahaha, what a spectacle it would be!”

At the mention of Han Mo’s name, Han Mo glanced sidelong at Yan Yibing.

Yan Yibing happily said to Sun Tianjiao, “Captain Han is beside me. Try to tone down your laughter a bit.”

Sun Tianjiao faltered, “…”

Han Mo interjected, “Are you talking about Han Shi?”

Yan Yibing paused, then realized, “Ah, you dislike that brand, don’t you?”

Han Mo lowered his gaze, his expression slightly cold. After a while, he sneered, “Esports players aren’t worth much.”

Yan Yibing felt that the fleeting expression on Han Mo’s face was akin to an abandoned young wolf—lonely yet fierce.

Unable to resist, Yan Yibing gently patted Han Mo’s head.

“The older generation mostly thinks that way. Esports has only risen in the last few years. Those who don’t understand still believe it’s a waste of time. Why bother about them?”

Han Mo obediently let Yan Yibing pat his head, and the resentment in his eyes gradually faded.

Yan Yibing took a moment to say to Sun Tianjiao, “Enough about that. I’m off to drink. Yu Yan and the others are waiting.”

Sun Tianjiao nodded, “Then enjoy yourself, Zuzong. Don’t drink too much.”

There were plenty of stalls brewing their own beer. From a distance, Yan Yibing saw Yu Yan and the others sitting on the grass, drinking and playing cards.

The cups for the beer were a liter each, filled to the brim, foaming with a strong aroma.

Yan Yibing ordered a glass of brown beer, mixed it with a third of ginger ale, and then gave the bartender a ten-dollar tip.

The bartender pressed his palms together and warmly repeated, “Arigato.”

Han Mo preferred German dark beer without any added sweet soda. The two of them got their drinks and went to the nearby snack stall to buy two baguettes stuffed with ham and avocado.

Walking over to the group, Yan Yibing sat cross-legged on the grass, placed the drink beside him, and took a crunchy bite of the baguette.

Yue Yan lay on his side on the ground, lifted his eyelids to glance at Han Mo and Yan Yibing, “It’s strange! The laziest person in the world has decided to join us. Did you threaten Han Mo with a knife to carry you up here?”

Munching on the baguette with unclear pronunciation, Yan Yibing said, “Your dad is too lazy to exercise, but when he moves, it scares the hell out of you.”

Yue Yan lightly snorted, “We’re almost done drinking and going down the hill. What’s the use of you coming up now?”

Yan Yibing glanced at him, “Do you think I climbed up here just to drink with you?”

Yu Yan retorted, “Otherwise, did you come up to enjoy the scenery with Captain Han?”

Ding Luo coughed violently twice, her face turning red as she hurriedly covered his mouth with a tissue.

Yu Yan patted her back with concern, “Sweetheart, did you choke?”

Ding Luo shook her head, crumpling the tissue and tossing it into the garbage bag calmly, “It’s fine. Just a little dizzy.”

Yu Yan exclaimed, “Huh?”

Ding Luo pushed him away, “Don’t mind me.”

Having filled his stomach, Yan Yibing took several sips of the drink.

He added a bit too much ginger ale, and the slightly spicy beer carried a faintly sweet taste. After drinking it, his stomach felt bloated, unable to accommodate anything more.

Leaning back, Yan Yibing lazily gazed at the sky.

Having climbed to the mountaintop, he felt as if the clouds weren’t as high as before.

He raised his finger and lightly tapped the empty space. The brim of his hat left a shadow on his face.

Yan Yibing lazily asked, “Yu Gou, do you have friends in the commentary circle?”

Yu Yan looked up, “Yeah, some acquaintances. What’s up?”

Yan Yibing said, “Is commentary easy to do? I have a classmate, a former professional player, who wants to transition to commentary after retiring.”

Yu Yan said, “That shouldn’t be an issue, but I’m not entirely sure.”

Xiao Nuo glanced at Han Mo, curious, “Captain, where are you going?”

Han Mo said indifferently, “Just taking a stroll.”

Yan Yibing blinked, “…” Every time he mentioned Liang Hefeng, Han Mo would leave.

Yu Yan asked, “What’s going on? Han Mo’s mood changes as fast as the stocks I bought.”

Yan Yibing shrugged, helplessly saying, “He has some opinions about that classmate of mine. It’s nothing.”

However, Ding Luo seriously added, “Bing Shen, before I went pro, I did commentary for a short while, but it was only on the live streaming platform. Honestly, I had good performance back then, with a considerable fan base, donations, and even a gimmick of being a top university’s campus flower. It got featured in several esports magazines.

But this industry is a bit saturated. The major events are the same every year, and there are too many well-known commentators. Moreover, in recent years, they keep inviting celebrities from the film and television industry to join, and even experienced individuals find it challenging to get opportunities. The competition is extremely fierce. A few projects that invited me back then ended up falling through.”

Yan Yibing pondered, murmuring, “That makes sense.”

In any industry, the top 10% of people reap the most significant benefits.

Liang Hefeng’s professional career didn’t go too well, and he didn’t possess extraordinary commentary talent. He might face setbacks even after transitioning.

Ding Luo added, “But giving it a try won’t hurt. I heard Lemon’s company is still hiring newcomers.”

Yan Yibing casually replied, “I asked before, and Lemon politely declined. Their company aims to sign young and handsome guys, targeting the female fan market. They should be good-looking and under twenty.”

It’s similar to cultivating a star; this is another way for those whose competitive level doesn’t meet the standard but can gain fame through gaming.

Liang Hefeng clearly wasn’t eligible, so Yan Yibing didn’t bother telling him.

Yu Yan asked, “Why are you so concerned? Is this a particularly close friend?”

Yan Yibing hesitated for a moment. If this were a few years ago, he would have nodded without hesitation. But now, he seemed less certain.

So, he just said, “Known each other for more than ten years.”

Yu Yan questioned, “Is it the one who posted your photo on Weibo?”

Yan Yibing raised an eyebrow, “You saw it?”

Yu Yan remarked, “I feel like his actions are quite puzzling. I suggest you only need one very good friend, okay?”

Yan Yibing clicked his tongue, “Damn, are you jealous? Don’t worry, you’re dad’s only son.”

Yu Yan scoffed, “Heh, man, you have over ten years of relationship with him.”

Yan Yibing couldn’t help but chuckle, “Why are you like Han Mo, holding onto the past for over ten years.”

Yu Yan was surprised, “Captain Han?”

Actually, he was more concerned that Liang Hefeng had ulterior motives. Yan Yibing was generous but prone to being taken advantage of.

Pretending to be jealous was just joking with Yan Yibing.

But he didn’t understand why Han Mo would also pretend to be jealous.

Ding Luo bit her finger, unable to hold back a sob.

Yu Yan asked, “Baby, what’s wrong with you today?”

Ding Luo replied, “Nothing, I ate too much.” Dog food.

Xiao Nuo said, “It’s four o’clock; we should head down. Everyone on the same boat has started to descend.”

Yan Yibing said, “Oh, go and call Han Mo back.”

Yan Yibing looked into the distance and saw Han Mo walking to the edge of the cliff, almost the highest point of the mountain, where dense purple alfalfa grew.

Under the sunset glow, a purple aura filled the air.

He squinted slightly against the light.

Ding Luo patted Yan Yibing, “Bing Shen, there’s a place with linden trees there, it’s a little scenic spot we’ve all visited. You can pray for free, and the view under the cliff is especially beautiful for photos. Why don’t you go take a picture too?”

Yan Yibing lowered his cap, shielding himself from the sunset, and carefully observed.

He had climbed up here with some difficulty; it would be a pity not to leave some memories.

So, Yan Yibing stood up, held Xiao Nuo back, and said, “Forget it, I’ll go call him.”

Han Mo stood there the entire time, gazing down the cliff, with the linden tree on his left, quietly and lushly growing, with red ribbons hanging from its branches.

Yan Yibing leisurely walked behind Han Mo and spoke slowly, “Hey, don’t be angry. Let’s head down.”

When Han Mo heard the voice, he glanced sideways, moved his fingers, and threw a small stone down the cliff. “Did you find him a job?”

Yan Yibing furrowed his brows, helplessly saying, “No, I won’t mention him in front of you from now on, alright?”

He had been tolerant enough of Han Mo. If Han Mo got angry again, he would ignore him.

But Han Mo was still quite sensible.

Upon hearing this, Han Mo turned around, and his eyelids trembled slightly. “Okay.”

He really knew how to adapt.

Yan Yibing tilted his chin to the left, “There’s a linden tree over there. Ding Luo said you can pray for free. Don’t you have someone you like? Why not indulge in a little superstition?”

He kindly showed Han Mo the way, but in reality, he wanted Han Mo to take a picture for him later on.

Honestly speaking, Han Mo’s photography skills were pretty good two years ago.

At that time, when Yan Yibing went out for competitions, Han Mo was in charge of photography within the team. The photos he took were later turned into promotional images and hung on the club’s official website.

Han Mo licked his lips suggestively, “And what about you?”

Yan Yibing innocently shrugged, “I don’t need it; I don’t have anyone I like.”

Han Mo, with restrained emotions, lowered his gaze and walked toward the lover’s tree, saying, “Give it a try; who knows, you might encounter someone in the future.”

Yan Yibing had no choice but to follow.

Next to the tree, there was a box shaped like a birdcage, filled with red ribbons. On the edge of the box were several pens.

There was a string of Japanese words on the box that Yan Yibing couldn’t understand, but it seemed to be praising love or something similar.

In reality, Han Mo didn’t believe in such things.

But today, right beside him, was Yan Yibing.

He took out a pen and wrote on the ribbon, “Make him love me.”

Yan Yibing leaned over to see. Han Mo quickly clasped the ribbon in his hand and then picked the tallest branch, tying it up.

Yan Yibing sighed in disdain, finding him stingy.

Han Mo handed the pen to Yan Yibing, “It’s your turn.”

Yan Yibing really had nothing to write. After thinking for a moment, he said, “I don’t know what to write. How about I make a wish for you again?”

Unlike Han Mo, he was more open-minded, making it easy for people to see.

He wrote, “Wishing Han Mo and the one he loves mutual affection and have a child soon.”

Han Mo tightened his lips, a faint ambiguous smile in his eyes.

Yan Yibing asked, “Is it thoughtful enough?”

Han Mo took the pen, crossed out the last four words, and whispered, “Don’t make it difficult for him.”

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Author’s Message:

Yan Yibing; you damn brat, no matter hard you fuck, it won’t result in a child!

Han Mo: Be gentler next time.

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