After Bai Cai came back, the five of them teamed up and played until around one o’clock.
Tacit understanding between players in the team had to be cultivated slowly. It wasn’t something that would happen with just one person’s hard work.
In particular, the cohesion between Wei Xiao and the others needed more constant honing.
When it was almost time to sleep, Lu Feng got up and said, “Rest early. There’s still free matching tomorrow.”
The four little ones all sat up straight, “Goodnight, captain!”
Lu Feng: “Goodnight.”
He left first.
Ning Zhehan whispered, “The captain’s biological clock is really healthy…”
It really wasn’t considered late for an e-sports player to go to bed at 1AM.
The Close worshipper came online, and Wei Xiao said, “We can’t catch up with the captain even though he’s not addicted to training. If he was the same as us, then we’d… Oh, the entire league won’t be left with any way to live.”
Brother Vegetable: “……”
Little Ning showed a lot of potential for accompanying Wei Xiao for crosstalk, “That makes sense.”
Old Yue almost choked on his potato chip!
After Lu Feng left, they went to double queue.
Wei Xiao refused to take the vegetable with him. As of now, his tacit understanding with Brother Vegetable was very stable, and they didn’t need to improve it further. So, he focused on Ning Zhehan instead.
In 5v5 games, the mid-jungler linkage was a very key concept.
In the distance was EVE’s immortal mid-laner Xie He. The cooperation between him and his captain could stir up a frenzied battle in their opponent’s jungle zone.
Nearby, there was also RR’s Moonlit and Money. These two had been able to make EVE unwilling to let them go, and would also be strong rivals after they returned home.
Ning Zhehan’s personal level was very outstanding. What he lacked was the experience, honing, and cooperation with his teammates.
As the jungler who led the rhythm of the game, Wei Xiao needed to develop good tacit understanding with him.
Bai Cai and Yue Wenle were old partners. They’d worked together for a season, and they’d felt that they had enough tacit understanding between them. However, in today’s training match, they’d been regarded as the breakthrough point. At this time, they were also upset and eager to find their game sense.
They double queued until three in the morning.
Bai Cai: “It’s about time to sleep. The free matching during the day won’t wait for us.”
Ning Zhehan and Wei Xiao had also just finished a game, “Okay, let’s disperse.”
Little Ning and Yue Wenle got up, stretched, and left to return to their room together. Bai Cai left one step behind, but noticed Wei Xiao, “You’re not going to sleep?”
Wei Xiao yawned, “Soon.”
Bai Cai was alert, “Don’t stay up late, there’s still tough battles to be had during the day.”
Wei Xiao waved his hand, “Got it.”
Bai Cai didn’t worry about him anymore and went back to his room to wash up and sleep.
The training room emptied out. Wei Xiao logged out of the game and opened up the video recording from yesterday.
Chen Feng had already done a review of the game with them.
It was a 40 minute game, but the replay review had lasted for an hour and a half. It wasn’t considered long, but all the points that should’ve been said had been mentioned.
Wei Xiao curled up in the e-sports chair and used the mouse to look over the match again bit by bit.
Close killed Marshal.
Close killed Gary.
Close killed MO.
……
10 minutes, 20 minutes, 30 minutes, 42 minutes…
The final team fight had lasted for longer than he’d thought.
VIVI killed Yue Wenle.
He killed VIVI.
Gary killed Bai Cai.
Close killed Gary.
He and Yuan Ze took each other down.
Only Close was left alive.
In the instant when the resurrection crystal exploded, the berserker warrior who stood alone in the canyon was like a war god of old, standing in the fierce battlefield with the ruins of a city behind him…
To exist after the death of one’s country, tragic and helpless.
Wei Xiao pressed on the pause button and looked steadily at this scene.
The living Close.
The standing Close.
The Close who was on his own.
His heart churned, and the remorse that had been forced down surged up again.
He’d said that he wouldn’t leave him on his own, said that he wouldn’t drag him down, said that he’d be a worthy teammate, but…
Wei Xiao stared at the screen, and the scene that appeared in his mind was of Close standing alone in FTW’s main hall and watching as his teammates went away.
The 18 year old captain.
The captain who carried everything on his young shoulders.
The captain who was softer than anyone else beneath his cold and hard appearance.
He knew what it was like to be left behind, the feeling of having to hold on and being unable to fall, the fear that once he collapsed, he’d be left with nothing left.
So, he felt heartache for Close.
The more he understood, the more heartache he felt.
The more heartache he felt, the more unwilling he was to see him suffer even the smallest amount of grievance.
Even if he knew that he’d already done his best in this game.
But, he still didn’t want to leave Close on his own.
Close was so good, so why was he left behind?
There was a ‘squeak’.
The door to the training room opened, startling Wei Xiao. He closed the video.
Lu Feng stood outside the door in black pajamas. His collar was open, and a large expanse of his chest was revealed beneath his long neck, appearing colder and paler than usual against the dark cloth.
“It’s five o’clock.” Lu Feng frowned, making his usual distant aura go up another level and giving off the feeling that ordinary people were expected to bow their heads and avoid him in passing.
Wei Xiao wasn’t afraid, though. He was just a little surprised, “Captain, you haven’t slept yet?”
Lu Feng: “I woke up.”
He’d gone back to wash up, then gone to sleep. When he woke up just now, he’d found that there was nobody in the bed beside him.
He hadn’t thought that when he pushed open the door to the training room, he’d see Wei Xiao curled up in the e-sports chair, hugging his knees and staring at the computer screen.
From Lu Feng’s point of view, he didn’t know what Wei Xiao was looking at, but he could see Wei Xiao’s manner––
It looked like he was about to cry.
Having gotten used to seeing his fearless demeanor, Lu Feng was caught by surprise and felt like his heart had been pierced by Wei Xiao’s appearance.
He wasn’t frowning because Wei Xiao was sleeping so late, but because he was so sad.
“What’s the matter?” Lu Feng came over to look at his computer.
The screen was empty. There was no game interface, nor was there anything else.
Wei Xiao was too embarrassed to say it––he was the noob one who couldn’t keep up with the captain. How could he trash talk about that?
“Nothing really.”
Lu Feng looked into his eyes and held it for a long time before asking gently, “… Missing your grandma?”
The only one who could make Wei Xiao like this was his dead grandmother.
Lu Feng still remembered how fiercely Wei Xiaoxiao had cried when he saw the things his grandma had left behind.
Wei Xiao: “……”
It was fine when this matter wasn’t brought up, but once it was, he couldn’t hold it in anymore.
He missed his grandma, but he wasn’t thinking of her just now. However, Lu Feng had used such a gentle tone when he mentioned his grandma, making the high walls that were erected in Wei Xiao’s heart collapse in an instant. Fragile uncertainty crowded out and occupied all his emotions.
Lu Feng was stunned, “Don’t, don’t cry.”
He was incredibly distressed, but he didn’t know how to coax him.
Wei Xiao was definitely the kind of child who wouldn’t cry. He hadn’t learned how to cry as a child, so he only knew to silently shed tears. It seemed that he only needed to feel sad on his own and didn’t need anyone to know.
––Only when a child knew that crying would be useless would they shed tears to themselves.
Lu Feng pulled him into his arms and pressed his head against his shoulder, “… Be good, Little Xiao, don’t cry.”
Wei Xiao’s tears flowed even harder: These were the words that his grandma had written in her diary.
Lu Feng was so full of heartache that he didn’t know what to do, “It’s okay, in the future, FTW will be your home.”
Wei Xiao shifted slightly, and his warm breath blew against Lu Feng’s ear, “Captain…”
The nerves along Lu Feng’s back were tense, and he almost pushed him away.
Wei Xiao’s voice was soft, “Is FTW your home too?”
Lu Feng was stunned for a moment. Half a beat later, he whispered, “Mm.”
Wei Xiao was half a head shorter than him and his chin fell onto his shoulder, “So, are we a family?”
Lu Feng’s heart suddenly jumped in his chest, “If you want…”
Wei Xiao immediately answered, “I want!”
Lu Feng breathed in lightly, “Then don’t cry anymore. In the future, I’ll be your family.”
His grandma was irreplaceable, but the reason why Wei Xiao was so sad must be because he had no home.
He clearly still had parents, but he lived like an orphan.
Sometimes, it was more painful to have a home yet be unable to return, than to not have a home at all.
Lu Feng understood.
Wei Xiao pillowed his head against his shoulder and laughed a little.
Lu Feng: “…….”
Wei Xiao got up and looked at him, “So, Captain, what should I call you?”
Seeing the familiar smile, Lu Feng’s heart relaxed slightly, “Hm?”
He’d been focused on Wei Xiao and hadn’t paid attention to what he was saying.
Wei Xiao was thinking very seriously, “Family, right? Isn’t it mom and dad and brother and sister.”
Lu Feng had a vague guess.
Wei Xiao’s eyes formed crescent moons filled with banter, “You’re a man and older than me, so the only options are father and elder brother.”
Lu Feng: “…….”
Wei Xiao: “Elder brother?”
Lu Feng: “!”
Wei Xiao frowned, “No way, my father doesn’t deserve to have such a good son as you.”
Lu Feng: “………………”
Wei Xiao: “Then, it can only be…”
Lu Feng couldn’t continue listening anymore. He turned and walked out, “If you still don’t go to sleep, I’ll have Tang Chen replace you for the free matching tomorrow afternoon.”
Wei Xiao was shocked, “There’s still the training match in the evening!”
If Tang Chen played in the free matching tomorrow, then he would be the one to play in the training match.
Lu Feng: “Tang Chen can play top-lane, I’ll jungle. It’s not a problem.”
Wei Xiao followed behind him, “How can that be okay? Captain, you don’t like playing jungler!”
Lu Feng sneered, “Playing once in a while feels fresh.”
Wei Xiao was sad and bitter, “What do you mean? Just now, you said that FTW is my home, and now you don’t want me anymore!”
The great demon king took him back to their room and closed the door behind them.
Wei Xiao blinked and surrendered, “I was wrong, in the future I’ll be obedient and go to bed early and get up early. Dad, don’t drive me out of the house!”
Lu Feng threw the bath towel at him, “Go wash up.”
Wei Xiao caught it, “Okay!”
He went to the bathroom, then stuck his head out again, “Dad~!”
The end note was light and melodious, and not very proper.
Lu Feng: “…….”
He tried to hold on but couldn’t hold back anymore. The great demon king broke down, “Shut up!”
It was rare that he could play a prank on the captain. Wei Xiao was really amused and hid in the bathroom to laugh uproariously.
Family, hey.
He and Close were family.
Wei Xiao’s heart felt like it was coated in a layer of honey, so sweet that he was stuck in a beautiful dream.
Comments