Jiang Shi felt like he and Jiang Lele were born to clash.
This guy had been lurking in his livestream for a while and had figured out his temperament perfectly.
Jiang Shi picked up his thermos, weighing it in his hand, and glanced at Jiang Lele, who was trying to stay out of sight at the other end of the table. “Take a guess, how much does this thermos weigh?”
Jiang Lele, oblivious to the danger, continued scrolling through a product description page. “It says 500g, because of the special material that enhances insulation. Feels pretty heavy.”
Jiang Shi nodded along with his words. “Yeah, it’s heavy. And with a full cup of orange juice in here, it’s almost 2 kg.”
He waved the thermos in Jiang Lele’s direction. “Guess which is tougher, your head or my thermos?”
Jiang Lele’s eyes widened, and he quickly ducked behind Zhao Jiu. “Save me, Jiu-ge! The little white hair wants to kill me!”
Jiang Shi smiled sinisterly, “This ends only when one of us dies.”
Zhao Jiu, whose mouse was getting yanked around, making it hard for him to use his abilities, chuckled helplessly. “Lele, Xiao Shi’s just messing with you!”
Jiang Lele frantically shook his head.
He could sense the murderous intent.
Jiang Shi’s sinister grin widened, and just as he was about to take another step to scare Jiang Lele, someone snatched the thermos from his hand.
Xie Xu placed Jiang Shi’s thermos next to his own and calmly said, “Enough playing around, Yuan Yang will be here in three minutes.”
Jiang Shi immediately straightened up, pretending to focus on his computer, and Jiang Lele, sensing the danger had passed, scurried back to his seat. Before sitting down, he quickly whispered to Yu Hui, “If Yang-ge asks why I wasn’t playing, tell him I was waiting to duo queue with you.”
When Yuan Yang finally came back, the room was calm, with everyone quietly focused on training.
Yuan Yang, pleased with the atmosphere, clapped his hands. “Sorry to interrupt, but I’ve arranged a scrim with another team for tomorrow afternoon. It’s a BO3.”
Jiang Lele, curious, asked, “Who?”
Yuan Yang smiled mysteriously, “Take a guess.”
Zhao Jiu raised his hand, “Lion?”
Their team, TLG, often scrimmaged with Lion, a rival team of equal standing. They frequently faced off in practice matches.
Yu Hui chimed in, “MR team? Last time we scrimmed, they didn’t seem too satisfied with the result.”
Jiang Lele laughed and nudged Yu Hui, “Remember when MR’s AD came to your debut stream and even sent fireworks?”
After their last scrim, MR’s AD was clearly impressed by Jiang Shi’s performance and even showed some respect by gifting fireworks in his livestream.
Yu Hui nodded. “I didn’t notice.”
He hadn’t paid much attention after MR’s AD sent the gift.
Talking about streams, Yuan Yang shifted his gaze toward Jiang Shi. “Who would you want to scrim against?”
Without hesitation, Jiang Shi replied, “Hurricane.”
An was on the Hurricane team, and last time Jiang Shi had destroyed him in a ranked match. But that was just a casual game. Jiang Shi wanted to defeat An in an official 5v5 match to truly prove himself.
“You want to play against An?” Yuan Yang sounded a bit surprised. He hadn’t realized just how competitive Jiang Shi was.
He paused, then added, “But we never scrim with Hurricane.”
Jiang Shi frowned. “Why?”
“They’re kind of the trash of the league,” Jiang Lele explained with clear disdain. “Once, they scrimmed with Lion, and Lion was trying out a new strategy. They hadn’t perfected it yet, so they lost. Hurricane got cocky and not only pushed their crystal but also leaked Lion’s strategy afterward.”
That incident led Lion to release an official statement, refusing to scrim with Hurricane anymore, and the strategy had to be scrapped.
“Hurricane’s reputation was already bad,” Zhao Jiu added. “They often act all smug during scrims, but their skills are passable, so most people just put up with them. That time, though, they really crossed the line with Lion.”
After that, hardly anyone arranged scrims with Hurricane.
“Let’s not talk about them,” Xie Xu said, bringing the focus back to Yuan Yang. “Did you arrange a scrim with Stone team?”
Yuan Yang gave him a thumbs-up. “Correct, it’s Stone.”
At this, Jiang Shi noticed everyone’s eyes were on him. Confused, he asked, “Is their AD really strong?”
Jiang Shi didn’t know much about the top teams and had only heard Stone Team’s name before, knowing they were one of the top four in the country.
“It’s not just about strength,” Jiang Lele said, looking at Jiang Shi with a hint of sympathy. “You’ll find out tomorrow.”
The next day, TLG faced off against the Stone team. The first match dragged on for a full 40 minutes.
By the late game, Jiang Shi’s Senna could barely chip away half of the Stone Team’s front line’s health, and he couldn’t even touch their AD.
TLG lost.
Only then did Jiang Shi understand what Jiang Lele meant.
Stone team, true to their name, had a defense that was rock solid. They favored tank-heavy compositions, often playing with a “4-protect-11basically their damage dealer/carry is protected by all of them until late-game, when the carry can kill everything in sight.” strategy. Their coordination was impeccable, and their AD played cautiously, giving Jiang Shi no openings in the early game.
TLG was dragged into the late game and worn down.
In the second match, Jiang Shi picked a hero that could at least clear waves and protect himself. Xie Xu and Back focused on invading the enemy jungle, breaking their defense in the mid-game, and TLG managed to win.
In the third match, Stone team not only drafted tanks in both the top lane and support roles, they also played a mid-lane utility mage. Their AD farmed two lanes and ate the jungle crabs, quickly amassing a huge lead in gold.
Jiang Shi, who had chosen a late-game carry for this match, found himself unable to deal enough damage. Their coordination broke down, and in 20 minutes, Stone Team pushed straight through and won the game.
1-2, TLG lost.
After the scrim, Jiang Lele rubbed his neck. “The Stone team is still as tough as ever. Every match against them feels like you’ve been sitting in the chair forever.”
Zhao Jiu agreed, “Yeah, and they’re not exactly a typical 4-protect-1 team. Their jungler and AD are the core, and they can sync up with any lane. I had to be extra cautious even when laning against their top laner.”
While the group continued to discuss, Jiang Shi remained silent, staring at his now black screen.
Compared to the other lanes, bot lane had been relatively quiet, with no kills in the first ten minutes.
However, as soon as the opposing AD completed their third item, they took control of the match.
Jiang Shi couldn’t counterattack. At best, he could take down their support, but as time went on, being a short-range, assassin-style AD, he couldn’t even defend his towers properly.
Against such a well-structured and strong team, his usual aggressive playstyle wasn’t effective at all.
During the review session, Yuan Yang pointed out many issues with Jiang Shi’s performance. As Yuan Yang spoke, Jiang Shi diligently took notes, his expression grim. Despite being upset over the loss, his serious attitude reassured Yuan Yang.
Jiang Shi had great potential.
In the esports world, talented players were common, and hard-working players were too. But having both qualities combined was truly rare.
After the scrim with Stone team, Jiang Shi began practicing late-game ADs. He was aware of his weaknesses. His impulsiveness, born from playing assassin ADs, often led him to forget that he was the team’s main source of damage. If he died, the whole team had to retreat.
He couldn’t just rely on assassin ADs anymore.
In the following days, every time Jiang Lele glanced over at his screen, Jiang Shi’s game was usually at the death screen.
After dying, Jiang Shi would take his hands off the keyboard, stuffing them into his pockets, his expression filled with frustration.
In one game, after getting tower-dived by three enemies while his jungler and support stuck together elsewhere, Jiang Shi was asked if he even knew how to clear minions.
Jiang Lele couldn’t tell which was darker—Jiang Shi’s face or the screen.
He noticed the veins bulging on Jiang Shi’s hand, peeking out of his pocket.
Jiang Lele knew why Jiang Shi wasn’t touching the keyboard after dying. It was to avoid arguing with his teammates.
Jiang Shi, aware that Jiang Lele was glancing at his stats, didn’t bother picking a fight.
The blame could be partly placed on his teammates, but he also knew his own performance as an AD hadn’t been up to par.
He hated playing late-game ADs. Not only did they take forever to become strong, but once tower-dived, there was no way out but death.
Frustrated, he scratched his head, then reluctantly pulled his hands from his pockets—not to argue with his teammates, but to check the enemy’s items and adjust his build accordingly.
If his team wasn’t going to help him, he’d play more cautiously. And if they came to gank, he’d steal kills and rack up assists. Once he got enough gold, no one could stop him.
When Jiang Shi fixated on something, he became relentless. He started waking up early and staying up late for a week straight, practicing late-game ADs. Unfortunately, while his gameplay didn’t improve much, his body gave out first.
“37.9°C, a low fever, and obvious cold symptoms,” the team doctor said. “What medicine have you been taking?”
Xie Xu answered for him, “Ibuprofen sustained-release capsules. He took it twice yesterday but hasn’t had any today.”
Jiang Shi kept his head down, not daring to meet Xie Xu’s eyes.
Xie Xu had been the first to notice Jiang Shi’s fever. Two nights ago, while practicing alone, Jiang Shi had opened the training room’s windows and doors to keep himself alert, letting in cold air for several hours. The next morning, he woke up with a stuffy nose and a slight fever but decided to take medicine on his own.
When Xie Xu heard Jiang Shi coughing, he had asked about it, but Jiang Shi lied, saying he’d choked on a piece of candy.
Only when his symptoms worsened did Xie Xu feel his forehead, then dragged him straight to the base’s medical room without saying a word.
Yuan Yang also rushed over in a hurry.
After the doctor got all the details, he prescribed a few boxes of medicine. “Three times a day. Make sure you get enough sleep. And don’t take any more medicine without consulting me first.”
These players were valuable assets, and taking the wrong medicine could worsen their condition, leading to significant losses.
Jiang Shi accepted the medication. “Thank you, doctor,”
When he spoke, his voice was hoarse and nasally. It made him sound pitiful.
Yuan Yang, seeing Jiang Shi’s flushed cheeks, felt a pang of sympathy. “You’ve been pushing yourself too hard in training lately. Get back to a normal schedule, and don’t worry about training until you’re fully recovered.”
Jiang Shi was about to argue when a glass of water was suddenly handed to him.
Xie Xu: “Take your medicine first.”
Jiang Shi immediately took the cup, obediently swallowing the pills.
“Only you can keep him in line,” Yuan Yang sighed. “There’s less than a week left until the Spring Split. Make sure he gets healthy again. Keep an eye on him.”
Xie Xu gave a quiet nod.
After Yuan Yang confirmed that Jiang Shi was okay, he left, and Jiang Shi followed Xie Xu, preparing to head back to the training room.
Jiang Shi glanced at Xie Xu’s back and tentatively said, “Captain, I’ve been practicing Frost quite well recently. Do you want to duo with me later?”
Frost was a highly popular late-game AD champion known for her long range and high damage. Her ultimate could boost attack and movement speed within its area, but she lacked mobility skills, making her a classic glass-cannon AD.
Jiang Shi’s real motive for asking to duo was not just to test the champion but also because he sensed that Xie Xu seemed upset.
Xie Xu stopped at the stairs between the second and third floors, indicating that he was not allowing Jiang Shi to continue training. “You should go up and rest.”
The second floor housed the training rooms, while the third floor had the players’ dorms. Xie Xu’s action clearly meant he wasn’t letting Jiang Shi train anymore.
Jiang Shi immediately refused, “I don’t want to rest.”
With less than a week before the Spring Split, he needed to maximize his time to improve.
“Captain, I’m fine,” Jiang Shi explained. “After taking the medicine, I can feel my temperature dropping.”
“The medicine takes at least half an hour to take effect,” Xie Xu said flatly. “Even if the finals were a week away, you still need to get well before playing.”
His tone left no room for negotiation.
As Xie Xu turned to head to the training room, Jiang Shi grabbed the edge of his shirt. “Captain…”
Xie Xu paused and turned to look at Jiang Shi, who looked both reluctant and a bit pitiful. “It’s useless to act spoiled with me.”
Jiang Shi: “….”
He bit his lip and said, “I’m not acting spoiled. I just want to duo with you.”
He lifted his head, “If you’re worried, you can check my forehead to see if I really have a fever. And Yangge gave me a thermometer, I can show you my temperature anytime.”
He even shook his head, trying to push aside the strands of hair on his forehead to make it easier for Xie Xu to check his temperature.
Xie Xu looked at Jiang Shi’s flushed face, then reached out and placed the back of his hand on Jiang Shi’s forehead. “The temperature is the same as before.”
Jiang Shi: “…”
In the past, Xie Xu would have given him an easy way out!
It seemed Xie Xu was genuinely angry this time.
As Jiang Shi pondered how to appease him, the training room door opened, and Jiang Lele waved at them. “What are you two whispering about? Isn’t it cold outside?”
The hallway outside the training room was quite chilly.
Jiang Lele then turned to Jiang Shi, “Yang-ge mentioned earlier that you have a fever. Are you okay? I wanted to ask if you’re free to duo.”
Back had left him to team up with Zhao Jiu, so he was turning to Jiang Shi for support.
Hearing this, Jiang Shi instinctively released his hold on Xie Xu’s shirt and his eyes lit up. “I’m free!”
How come he never realized before that Jiang Lele was so agreeable?
Jiang Lele eagerly added, “Great, let’s go! Our bot lane duo is unbeatable!”
Jiang Shi started to walk towards Jiang Lele but suddenly stopped, realizing something was off.
“No, actually, I’m not free.”
Jiang Lele: “What’s going on?”
Had the fever messed with Jiang Shi’s brain? Didn’t he just say he was free?
Jiang Shi backed up a few steps to return to Xie Xu’s side and grabbed his shirt again. “Captain, you said you’d duo with me earlier, so I can’t play with Jiang Lele, right?”
Xie Xu glanced at him without saying anything.
Jiang Shi’s heart raced at the look.
Was Xie Xu about to refuse him after all?
Seeing that Xie Xu wasn’t responding, Jiang Lele tried to negotiate, “Captain, let Jiang Shi play with me. He’s been practicing late-game AD, and my Nuka would be perfect for him!”
Jiang Shi’s scalp tingled at the mention of Nuka. He wished he could slap himself for saying he was available just moments ago.
Even if he had to go to bed, he’d rather avoid duoing with Jiang Lele playing Nuka!
He couldn’t help but tug on Xie Xu’s sleeve slightly and whisper, “Captain, help me out…”
“It’s really cold in the hallway. How about we head back to the training room together?”
He even put on a show, coughing a few times and giving Xie Xu a pleading look with his slightly reddened eyes.
Jiang Lele watched with exasperation. “Can’t you be a bit more sincere when you’re pretending to be pitiful?”
The cough sounded so dry and artificial; he couldn’t believe Xie Xu wouldn’t see through it.
Just as he finished speaking, Xie Xu stepped to the side, blocking the wind from the hallway.
Jiang Lele: “?”
Noticing Xie Xu’s move, Jiang Shi’s lips curled into a smile, but the coughing that followed was real this time.
As Jiang Shi’s coughing fit forced him to bend over, he kept holding onto Xie Xu’s shirt, afraid of being left behind.
Fortunately, the coughing subsided quickly, and Jiang Shi took a deep breath. Before he could straighten up, Xie Xu spoke.
“Jiang Lele, you can play by yourself.”
Xie Xu looked at Jiang Shi’s fingers, which were gripping his jersey tightly, with a mix of helplessness and resolve. “He’ll duo with me.”
