GSCCO Chapter 21

In the first match, Mu Huai’s team faced Liu Jiaolong, and Shi Shaoqian faced off against Yun Dongyuan. Lin Zifei got a bye—he would then compete against the winner of one of the two matches.

Lin Zifei: “What do you think Shaoqian’s odds of winning are?”

Mu Huai said, “Why don’t you ask us about our odds of winning?”

Lin Zifei: “Do I even need to ask? You drew Liu Jiaolong… Don’t look at me like that!”

Afraid that Mu Huai would think he was rooting for others, Lin Zifei thought for a moment and added, “But with Grumpy Yu on your team, I think he’s the strongest this season. What if he can take on five opponents?”

Mu Huai smiled but didn’t say anything, just thinking that Yu Yi might actually be able to take on five alone. The rest of their team weren’t weak either. Even if Liu Jiaolong’s team was stronger than the others, relatively speaking, most of the participants who stayed on the show were about equal in skill. Mu Huai was very confident in Yu Yi.

The screen lit up, and the room erupted in noise. Mu Huai and Lin Zifei each returned to their own teams.

“Nervous?” Mu Huai patted Yu Yi.

Yu Yi looked at him, puzzled. “Are you nervous?”

There were four matches in total, one per month. Eliminated teams watched from below. It took three losses to eliminate one team, so even if they lost this round to Liu Jiaolong, they were confident they could turn things around in the second.

Mu Huai said, “Just asking out of courtesy.”

He was just a little annoyed and wanted to talk to Yu Yi a bit more to ease his anxiety.

The production team was enthusiastically introducing the mysterious commentator, with several hints displayed on the big screen.

With cameras all around, Yu Yi restrainedly squeezed Mu Huai’s shoulder and whispered, “Sit down. I’ll help you relax.”

The seats were tiered, with managers’ seats in the front row. Mu Huai, who had been standing, sat down next to Yu Yi after hearing this.

The boy placed his hand on Mu Huai’s shoulder, skillfully massaging several acupoints to relax his neck and shoulders. Mu Huai slowly leaned back, placing his shoulder in the boy’s hand, and gradually relaxed, finding it much easier to watch the big screen again.

The nine teammates sitting behind them paid no attention to the actions of their manager and captain.

Yu Yi: “Is that Yin En?”

Mu Huai: “Hmm? Why do you say that?”

Yu Yi: “They said the commentator used to be a member of a boy band, and also that he’s the son of a conglomerate.”

Mu Huai: “Then why not Devin?”

Mu Huai’s question came too quickly. Yu Yi’s gaze shifted from the screen, his eyes lowering, his long eyelashes obscuring his deep eyes.

He paused for a moment, as if he was about to say something but then held back.

“Then, Manager Mu, who do you want it to be?” Yu Yi unconsciously increased the pressure.

Mu Huai had a thick skin figuratively, but his actual skin was quite thin; the pressure made him blush. Mu Huai suddenly snapped back to reality, his brow twitching imperceptibly. He couldn’t figure out if the little streamer was genuinely asking the question or deliberately setting a trap for him. Both were former teammates of Demons; if Lin Zifei had to answer, he’d jump up in shock.

“Either is fine.” Mu Huai calmly looked at the screen. “Yin En’s Mandarin is more standard than Devin’s, but Devin knows more about the game than Yin En.”

He subtly mocked both sides, while maintaining an air of familiarity about his former teammates. For some reason, he felt the pressure on his shoulders grow even heavier.

“Let’s welcome…” another commentator exclaimed dramatically, “… President Yin!”

The commentator’s platform was very high. Looking up from below, only two tiny figures could be seen. The screen projected the commentator’s seat from all angles. The man who entered walked with a model’s stride, handsome and elegant. He didn’t rush to sit down, but instead leaned on the table and waved to the audience, like some kind of cat.

Mu Huai’s lips curled into a slow smile, conjuring up a careless gentleness he had displayed countless times before. Anyone who saw this facade would be fooled.

Yu Yi let go of Mu Huai, rested his elbows on his knees, and looked up at the big screen.

Later, when they went on the stage to their stations to play, they would be very close to the commentator’s platform, even passing by it. If they wanted, they could ask to hug and shake hands with the commentators. At that time, he would be able to see Yin En up close, though probably not as high-definition as the screen was showing it.

The camera subtly panned across Mu Huai and Lin Zifei’s faces. Mu Huai and Lin Zifei stood up and looked at the commentary booth, perhaps whispering a sarcastic remark. It seemed the former Demons members had a really good relationship.

Yu Yi, sitting behind Mu Huai, was caught in the camera’s focus; his indifferent face looked almost photoshopped in.

The camera then panned back to the commentary booth. Mu Huai sat down, his smile still lingering, and lightly nudged Yu Yi’s calf with his elbow.

Yu Yi looked down at him, tilting his head to look down at him.

Mu Huai: “Are you confident?”

Noticing Yu Yi’s shoelaces were untied, Mu Huai, sitting close, hesitated for a moment before actually offering to tie them for him.

Yu Yi gently stepped back to avoid him, bending down to tie his shoelaces.

Mu Huai paused, only to hear Yu Yi say calmly, “You’ve asked several times today.”

“Really?” Mu Huai chuckled, his eyes probing. “Maybe I’m just nervous.”

Shuangshuang and the others, listening from behind, were completely bewildered. With cameras everywhere, they dared not ask any further questions, keeping their curiosity bottled up inside.

The screen displayed the team match order: Mu Huai versus Liu Jiaolong in the first match. Liu Jiaolong’s team were making bold statements, saying they would finish quickly, and their captain said they wouldn’t hold back.

Now it was Mu Huai’s turn to make his bold statements, and the microphone was handed to him. Yu Yi stepped forward, standing beside Mu Huai, glancing slightly up at the screen. The two stood together, about the same height; one had a flamboyant air, the other a refined and elegant air.

Mu Huai: “Then we’ll show mercy.”

Lin Zifei yelled from below: “Damn! You guys are so weak!”

Luo Yan also shouted, “Yu-ge, go for it!”

Some fans in the audience, those who had watched Yu Yi’s livestream, were all yelling, “Yu-ge! Go for it!”

Everyone was fired up by this segment, while Yu Yi remained as quiet as a mouse.

At this moment, Yu Yi turned his head and exchanged a glance with Mu Huai.

It was nothing out of the ordinary. The day before the match, the production team had approached them, asking how confident they were about the round. Yu Yi didn’t mince words, saying it was a guaranteed win.

However, the production team suggested they throw the match, to lose it with a slight sense of regret. Their strength was undeniable, and they wouldn’t be eliminated against the next group.

The director said, “A dark horse, someone who rises from behind, is more attractive to the audience.”

Everyone, every group, has to play a role within a certain scope; you are the weak, you are the strong. The production team assigned the role of Liu Jiaolong to be the absolute strongman, always at the top. Mu Huai’s side was the dark horse, led by a top-tier streamer with a history of scandals, and with two female members, making them very attractive.

Their analysis was logical and entirely beneficial to Mu Huai’s side—they’d only lose a little at the start for the sake of the drama.

From the corner of his eye, Mu Huai caught the expressions of the nine young players behind him and Yu Yi. They feigned composure, even looking around nervously, their displeasure practically written all over their faces. After all, no one wanted to back down in this kind of situation, especially after all the practice they’d put in. To put it bluntly, what was the difference between that and throwing a match?

Yu Yi had a fiery temper, and Mu Huai suspected he wouldn’t care what the production team thought. Even if the production team maliciously edited the footage later, he’d just fight back without hesitation and show them what real senior skills looked like.

Those lips were coated in a light honey color. In front of everyone, Mu Huai actually had a strong urge to pinch Yu Yi’s cheek and pull his lips upwards.

“We’ll listen to our manager,” Yu Yi said, handing the microphone back to Mu Huai without arguing.

Not the least bit hot-tempered, not the least bit like grumpy Yu. Who was this quiet, obedient captain standing next to Mu Huai?

Yu Yi’s fans inherited his temper—each one of them as feisty as the next, so angry they directly cursed in the comments. While not necessarily malicious, they were all nasty things that couldn’t be broadcast.

Mu Huai was also a fan of Yu Yi, the kind who would spend all his credit card on him. He’d spent a month living side by side with Yu Yi, watching him train, eat, and even sleeping with him, and he wanted to pinch his cheek to see if the person was real.

The anti-counterfeit mole was still there. He was real.

Yu Yi had simply given him the decision over to him. If Mu Huai told him to throw the match, he would.

Shuangshuang and the others all turned their gazes towards him, each of them privately understanding what the others were thinking.

Of this group, only Mu Huai seemed least affected by the match-fixing. He neither played games nor was he a seasoned veteran of the industry; he knew perfectly well how to maximize the benefits the show would bring him.

But this time, he refused to play the old tricks. Why should they, with their skills, have to hold back? He figured he’d make the production team return the resources that were due to the smaller streamers if they won.

“Then, everyone, give it your all,” Mu Huai said. “They all know what a crushing defeat looks like, right? Let them see it clearly!”

Everyone shouted, their voices cracking, “Yes!”

Yu Yi gave a slight smile, “Yes.”

Mu Huai went up on stage with them. Liu Jialong’s team was all over the place, their superior performance in practice making them incredibly arrogant.

The screams from the fans below almost ripped the screen apart.

Once the players put on their headphones and got into the zone, they couldn’t hear outside noise, but everyone else could hear them. Yin En and another professional commentator tried their best to keep up with their pace.

But Yin En had never done commentary before, and his understanding of the game was only hastily learned. He didn’t understand many of the slang and technical terms. Fortunately, he was self-aware and only tried to manage the atmosphere within his control.

Yin En asked again, “Where did the grumpy Yu go?”

Mu Huai finally glanced at the commentary booth. This time, his dislike for Yin En had lessened considerably; he just really wanted to hide his microphone and commentate for him. What was going on? This wasn’t how the show was supposed to chase views.

The two teams were evenly matched. Yu Yi’s team was relatively slower, but their ability to control the game was strong. They couldn’t stop Yu Yi, nor could they eliminate the others in a short time.

“You guys have improved a lot,” said Liu Jiaolong.

Mu Huai nodded.

Fifteen minutes passed, and the battle reached a fever pitch. The opposing team, enraged by Yu Yi, finally managed to catch him and relentlessly pursued him to kill him.

Liu Jialong’s expression grew increasingly grim.

Yin En was chattering about Yu Yi, practically standing up while leaning on the table.

Liu Jiaolong couldn’t hold back any longer: “Has this ex-teammate of yours even played the game?”

Mu Huai, focused on the battle, slowly replied, “I guess so.”

He wouldn’t know—before the team disbanded, Yin En hadn’t played games much in front of them.

Yu Yi dodged into one of their opponents, taking one down with him. The other lunged at him, and both perished.

The opposing team’s camera fell silent.

Both sides were wiped out, but Yu Yi’s team respawned earlier.

The first to respawn was Shuangshuang, the skilled driver. She then grabbed a car, picked up Li Mao and headed straight for the enemy’s base.

They won.

One minute, Yin En was heartbroken for Yu Yi’s death, and the next for the loss of Liu Jiaolong.

The tension lasted from start to finish.

The commentators were both amused and exasperated.

The audience erupted in cheers.

Liu Jiaolong and Mu Huai stood up, shaking hands before hugging. Afterwards, each returned to their respective teams.

Mu Huai hugged everyone, patting Yu Yi’s arm.

After finishing the match, they went straight to the back room, saving time for their next game.

The production team promptly cut to an ad break.

Mu Huai seemed to only now remember that Yu Yi had asked for leave to go home. Regardless of the outcome, they were supposed to have a small celebration that evening, but three other members of their team besides Yu Yi were also absent, so they simply postponed the celebration.

Passing behind the commentary booth, there was a passageway hidden from the audience. Mu Huai checked the time on his phone. If the match ended early, it would still be early evening— and Yu Yi might leave ahead of the scheduled end as he seemed to be in a hurry; besides his usual accessories, he had also packed his usual jacket in his bag.

Today was the 6th. Tomorrow, the seventh.

The small door to the commentary booth suddenly opened, and shouts followed the door in. Yin En and another commentator came out and stopped the group.

Shuangshuang and the others were excited, shaking hands and hugging. Based on Mu Huai’s limited observations over this period, it seemed that anyone with a decent appearance was Shuangshuang’s idol.

Mu Huai smiled, standing at the back but not in a hurry to move forward. Yu Yi stood in front of him, half-blocking his view. Following the flow of people, he glanced at Yin En, then turned to look at Mu Huai.

Yin En opened his arms and came over. Mu Huai hugged him, then taking advantage of the corner, let go as soon as they touched.

The others tactfully gave the two former teammates time to catch up.

Yin En: “Huai-ge, long time no see.”

Mu Huai licked his upper teeth, head slightly lowered. For an instant, his expression showed a fleeting, roguish expression on his face, a hint of impatience—very different from the elegant persona he’d crafted.

“Long time no see, President Yin.”

What a distant yet familiar form of address—after all, when Lin Zifei and the others teased Yin En, they liked to call people that too.

Yin En’s relationships with everyone were lukewarm at best, even somewhat aloof. He was inherently arrogant, initially looking down on everyone, a haughty young master who wouldn’t deign to exchange more than a few words with anyone. Devin, the quiet, charming mixed-race man, was actually more familiar with everyone than Yin En.

Therefore, Lin Zifei, though suspecting a possible conflict between Mu Huai and Yin En, never pointed it out.

“Let’s have dinner together tonight? I’ve already booked a restaurant.” Yin En didn’t mind the way he addressed him, his expression softening. “Shall we invite Zifei too?”

Yin En was here as a commentator for this episode, and there’s a high chance he’ll be seen with them in the dormitory for the next few days.

Mu Huai stretched out his arm and pulled Yu Yi over, saying, “Let’s do it another day. I have to take the kids home today. Our kids are all quite young. I’m afraid they’ll get lost.”

Yin En: “…”

Yu Yi: “…”

Yin En tilted his head slightly, estimating Yu Yi’s height, then looked down to make sure he wasn’t wearing platform shoes. His lips twitched slightly.

When Mu Huai talked his way out of things, not only did he play blind himself, he treated everyone else as blind too.

Yin En looked at Yu Yi, his gaze much calmer: “Is that so…”

And yet, Yu Yi didn’t contradict him. He raised his hand from his side and lightly placed it on Mu Huai’s hand, then calmly looked at Yin En: “Yeah, we’re still young.”

Yin En: “…”

Yin En didn’t like directly staring at people’s faces, but he couldn’t help looking at Yu Yi. Among ordinary people, there were few who were so stunning; Yu Yi’s face would be considered striking even in the entertainment industry.

Hearing that many of the contestants this time were only eighteen or nineteen years old, Yin En naturally categorized Yu Yi as one of them.

“Twenty-one and still young?” Mu Huai chuckled beside him, as if he hadn’t just said they were young.

Yu Yi looked at him speechlessly: “So, are you walking me home or not?”

Mu Huai: “I will.”

Yin En’s lips moved slightly, his gaze falling on the two hands clasped together on Yu Yi’s arm, then fixed on Mu Huai.

“I’m only twenty-two. Huai-ge, why didn’t you pick me up when I came?”

“Don’t you have an assistant?” Mu Huai didn’t even look at him, even this question sounded like he was speaking to Yu Yi.

The group segment wasn’t very long, and someone urged them to go down, letting Yin En in as well. Mu Huai told Yin En to do his best, then led the group of kids downstairs.

When they reappeared in the camera’s view, they were once again one in front of the other, with half a person’s distance between them.

Yun Dongyuan’s team lost to Shi Shaoqian by one kill, and Lin Zifei had been howling several times below. This round was his team’s turn to PK with two winners. The arrival of Liu Jiaolong suddenly increased the pressure on him, so he unhesitatingly chose the Dongyuan’s team.

After coming down from upstairs, Mu Huai became a bit annoyed. Not only did he move a seat back from the front row to sit next to Yu Yi, but he also frequently tried to talk to Yu Yi for no reason.

After watching for a while, Shuangshuang couldn’t resist pulling a few teammates to sit around the two, thinking they had to at least block them out a little bit.

“Could you sit down there?” Yu Yi sighed.

Mu Huai refused: “How can I talk with you if I sit down there?”

“…” Yu Yi’s gaze drifted to the screen, seeing Luo Yan stylishly secure a kill. He clapped along, not noticing a slight smile playing on his lips.

Should he remind this big star that they weren’t dating, there was no need to be so clingy?

Lin Zifei’s team won, and he hugged his teammates, waving wildly to the audience.

Dongyuan’s team were also very open-minded, even cheering for Lin Zifei.

From the end of the recording until the fans left, it got dark, just as Mu Huai had predicted. A line of cars was waiting outside for the dorms, and everyone got on. Yu Yi went to the lounge, grabbed his bag, and walked out while making a phone call.

Yu Meng’s voice was loud and clear: “Is anyone going to ambush you?”

Yu Yi: “…Why would they ambush me?”

Yu Meng said sarcastically, “You’re so handsome! You just appeared on TV once, and your fanbase skyrocketed! I saw so many people on your page saying they’d go to the event to find you. Maybe someone’s following you, or planting a tracking device. What should I do? I’m so nervous, should you be speeding right now?”

“That’s Yu Ying, what does that have to do with me?” Yu Yi heard the wind whistling on the other end. “You’re already speeding. Can you please drive properly and stop playing on your phone?”

Yu Meng seemed oblivious: “I’m almost there! You have no idea how much our parents miss you!”

Yu Yi: “…”

The distance from the lounge to the exit wasn’t long. This passage led to the back, where fans generally couldn’t enter, making it safe.

The staff slowly went inside to tidy up, and the passage became less crowded. For the first time in many days, he was completely away from microphones and cameras outside his room, and Yu Yi felt a long-lost sense of ease.

Most of the contestants who had taken leave had to go back to pack their things, but Yu Yi could leave with just a bag.

After walking for a while, he saw someone leaning against the wall and recognized him at a glance. He hung up the phone just in time to see the message Mu Huai had sent.

Mu Mu: Waiting for you on the right side of the emergency exit.

He really did come to see him off.

Yu Yi had never resented having short legs and a slow walk so much in his life.

“Only one bag?” Mu Huai raised his chin and tapped lightly: “Not bringing any equipment or anything?”

“Even if I took it back, I couldn’t do much with it. I’m only going back for two and a half days.”

Yu Yi walked to his side, his hand reaching out naturally. He hooked Mu Huai’s wrist, and drew the hand that had been tucked in his hoodie pocket out, firmly holding it in his own.

Mu Huai stopped and turned to look at him. The corridor was dimly lit, but they could still make out each other’s features. He looked at Yu Yi with a half-smile, shaking their joined hand: “What? You really think no one’s here?”

“Just for a moment,” Yu Yi said softly.

Mu Huai’s first reaction wasn’t that they weren’t in a relationship at all. Yu Yi was barely suppressing the elation inside him, resisting the urge to yank Mu Huai over and kiss him. Just as he’d said, it wasn’t exactly that no one was around.

“How old are you, Yu-gege?” Mu Huai asked with a smile. “Is your bag heavy? Do you want me to help you carry your peripherals back?”

“Twenty-one,” Yu Yi answered honestly. “And no need. I’m planning to change my set.”

Faint footsteps came from the corridor entrance, and Yu Yi let go of his hand. They walked side by side, close enough that their arms and hands occasionally brushed as they moved, creating a shy, ambiguous atmosphere.

Mu Huai turned his head slightly to look at him, feeling that this was the perfect moment for a kiss. The atmosphere was just right, though the location wasn’t safe enough.

Perhaps he had really spent too much time with these kids, and his thoughts had become much simpler. In all his past years, his memories of such simple romance were almost blank; when he looked at Yu Yi, he couldn’t think of anyone else.

Mu Huai quite enjoyed this feeling.

The footsteps at the entrance stopped, and no one came out. Out of caution, Yu Yi didn’t do anything else. The two stood by the door—Yu Yi looked down at his phone, while Mu Huai stood in the shadows, staring thoughtfully at his mole.

There were no other cars around; the one that had arrived had been quite noisy.

Yu Yi peeked out, then returned to Mu Huai and said, “My sister’s here to pick me up.”

He clearly saw a strange glint in Mu Huai’s eyes when he saw the long-haired figure in the driver’s seat.

Thankfully, this was someone he could publicly explain himself to. Yu Yi breathed a sigh of relief.

“Oh.” Mu Huai withdrew his gaze, a half-smile on his face. “Why bother explaining?”

Yu Yi remained calm. “Nothing.”

“Alright, let’s go.” Mu Huai habitually joked. “Remember to miss me.”

Yu Yi lifted his bag, a light sneer on his lips. “Will you miss me?”

Mu Huai made no attempt to hide his scumbag nature. “Maybe…”

Yu Yi: “… Wait for me to come back.”

Yu Meng impatiently honked the horn. Yu Yi emerged from the shadows, following the car’s headlights. Mu Huai watched him go, confirming that this was a place where he couldn’t see the woman in the driver’s seat, and the woman in the driver’s seat couldn’t see him either.

He had initially thought too much of the little streamer, assuming he was just earning pocket money. This car was about the same price as his; at least Yu Yi had an older sister to support him.

Yu Meng asked, “Who were you talking to just now?”

Yu Yi casually replied, “A friend.”

The streetlights outside were dim, and Yu Yi could vaguely make out a figure outside the door, walking in a manner remarkably like a cat.

Yu Yi’s heart sank.

Yu Meng was still asking all sorts of random questions. She hadn’t seen her younger brother in so long and was bursting with a lot of energy.

Yu Yi felt his phone vibrate twice; Mu Huai had sent two messages.

Mu Mu: Come back soon.

Mu Mu: Master Huai is waiting for you.

Mu Mu: I can’t manage those little brats by myself.

Yu Meng deliberately said, “Yu Yi! You haven’t seen me in so long, don’t you miss me? Is your phone more important than me?!”

Yu Yi glanced at his sister and chuckled softly, “No, Yu Meng is the most important.”

Then, he didn’t stop playing on his phone until he got back to the old house.