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[Fang Shiqian]: Yo little captain, I’m in the city this weekend, spare some meager amount of time for your old partner?
Those who had seen the personal interactions between these two players might be surprised to see them hang out as friends. In general, both of them were fairly mature and reasonable people, yet that changed when they were together. Throughout their entire career together, probably over three-quarters of what Fang Shiqian said to Wang Jiexi was sarcastic or belligerent in tone, and Wang Jiexi tended to reveal a rare snarky side when dealing with him.
But, they did win two championships together. That couldn’t happen without deep-seated trust between the captain and vice-captain of a team.
It really had been a while since Wang Jiexi had spent time with Fang Shiqian, what with all his responsibilities as Tiny Herb’s captain, and the fact that his schedule no longer aligned with his retired friend’s. And so, that weekend saw the two of them meet at the shopping district.
The end of the calendar year was upon them; soon enough it would be January, and the All-Star Weekend – which, since Tiny Herb was this year’s host, would involve more preparation than normal on Wang Jiexi’s part. Still, it was nothing he couldn’t handle.
“Are you looking to buy gifts for people?” Fang Shiqian asked him, once they had met up and started walking along the streets. It looked like Wang Jiexi had a list on his phone, which he was now examining.
Wang Jiexi nodded. “My parents, my little brother and sister, my teammates, they’ve been working hard-”
“Ah of course, team gifts as always! What a doting captain you are,” Fang Shiqian said with a grin. “How is Tiny Herb? Probably worse than they’d be if I were still there, but that’s a given.”
“Yuan Baiqing has adapted nicely to Wind and Cordyceps,” began Wang Jiexi.
“Good, I’d hate for my accounts to be under someone incompetent. What about the others? Your precious protégé?”
“He is also progressing very well. You saw his performance at last year’s All-Star?”
“I did. And I saw your performance too. That press conference after… You’re really taking care of him, aren’t you?”
“I hope that he can have an easier transition than I did.” Wang Jiexi let out a faint sigh.
“Mm.” Fang Shiqian, as a first-hand witness, of course understood the circumstances behind Wang Jiexi’s being thrust into captaincy in his debut season. He had initially harbored some resentment toward the rookie captain, but he was able to appreciate now the significant burden that Wang Jiexi had willingly accepted, in order to ease that of former Captain Lin Jie. Leading the team, performing with a god-level character, earning the respect of fellow pros, dealing with the media… It was understandable that Wang Jiexi would do his best to ensure that his successor was adequately prepared for these challenges, instead of having to learn on the fly like he did.
“And you’re doing alright, too?” Fang Shiqian pressed. “Taking care of yourself as much as your team? Eating well, getting enough sleep?”
Fang Shiqian might not have been as good at reading faces as his friend was, but Wang Jiexi’s guilty look was obvious enough. He sighed and punched him lightly in the shoulder. “Now that I’m not there anymore you still gotta stay healthy! I’m telling you this as your friend and resident healer. You won’t be a good captain if you run yourself into the ground. Take a break once in a while, share responsibilities, you don’t have to do everything by yourself, you know?”
Wang Jiexi sighed again, but nodded in resigned acceptance, a wry smile tugging at his lips.
The moral of the story, Fang Shiqian figured, was that Tiny Herb’s captains were all self-sacrificing idiots. It was like a curse. Hopefully this Gao Yingjie would take care of himself more.
They continued to exchange tidbits about their lives as they wandered the streets and admired the sights. Though Christmas wasn’t as big of a deal here as it was in the West, the shops were still taking full advantage of the commercial aspect of the holiday. The area was decorated with color and light, bustling with locals and tourists alike.
They stopped at several places along the way as things caught their interest, occasionally splitting up to pick out some gifts for the people they knew. Fang Shiqian purchased a prettily designed and intricate ornament of a cat wearing a witch’s hat, and planned to present it to his friend right before they parted ways.
After evening had fallen and the festive lights truly dazzled in all their colorful glory, Wang Jiexi checked his phone and announced that they should get dinner somewhere before parting ways.
“Huh? You still have one more gift to get, though?” Fang Shiqian poked his head over Wang Jiexi’s phone and read the final name on his list, which had yet to be crossed out. “Wait, him? But didn’t he…”
“Yes.” Wang Jiexi put away his phone. “I was planning to send him one of my plants.”
This was a seemingly very mundane announcement, but Fang Shiqian’s mouth fell open. “What?!” he exclaimed. “From your collection? You never gave me one of your precious plants!”
Wang Jiexi rolled his eyes. “That’s because you can hardly take care of yourself, let alone another living thing.” There was a reason that Tiny Herb players were banned from entering his room with all his plants, and that reason was standing right in front of him.
Fang Shiqian grumbled, but couldn’t think of a proper retort to that. “But really,” he said, changing the topic, “why? Are you still in contact? Did you ever even talk to him? I know I didn’t, not really…”
Wang Jiexi shrugged. “I want to send him my well-wishes,” he replied simply, and though the answer was far from satisfactorily detailed, Fang Shiqian didn’t push. He knew Wang Jiexi well enough to guess at his motivations, anyway.
***
[Vaccaria]: Hello Senior, what is Happy’s current address?
[Lord Grim]: You mean our internet café? XXX, City H. What for?
[Vaccaria]: Thanks
[Lord Grim]: What for, Big Eye? You’re not sending someone to attack us, are you?
[Lord Grim]: Don’t tell me you’re still upset about the “unspecialized should roll for every weapon” thing?? I promise that was (mostly) a joke!
[Vaccaria]: Nothing much, don’t concern yourself with it
[Vaccaria]: …I suppose it would be too much to ask you not to pull something like that again
[Lord Grim]: ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
[Lord Grim]: Grassroots team needs nutrients, I’m sure you understand. We are the true tiny herbs
[Vaccaria]: …
[Lord Grim]: Anyway
[Lord Grim]: Don’t work yourself too hard, Big Eye
[Vaccaria]: Noted, and same to you. Merry Christmas
[Lord Grim]: Merry Christmas~
***
On Christmas Day, Qiao Yifan sat on his bed in his room, studying the few colorfully-adorned packages laid out before him.
Aside from the in-game Christmas event, they’d gotten the day off from practice. Chen Guo had given all of them candy canes; Ye Xiu had given all of them a what was supposed to be an inspirational speech but, thanks to snarky interjections from Wei Chen and just general Team-Happy-being-Team-Shameless, it had derailed – which, of course, was still entertaining in its own right. Laughing and enjoying the company of everyone around him… it had truly felt like a family, a home. Qiao Yifan had never been happier.
Having grown up in a championship team, Qiao Yifan knew the deluge of presents that some of the first-string players would get, come Christmas and especially New Year. He, of course, had never experienced anything like that. But though he would sometimes wistfully imagine what such popularity would be like, he was ultimately content with what he had.
His parents had sent him a goodie bag, filled to the brim with all his favorite treats from home, as well as a heartfelt card of encouragement and well-wishes. It had been a while since he’d been home; he hoped to be able to see them at least briefly during New Year.
He moved to the next package, this one from his best friend. Gao Yingjie had messaged him earlier asking for his new address, and yesterday, his gift had arrived at the Happy apartment residence. Qiao Yifan opened it now to find an incredibly soft white scarf; he wrapped it several times around his neck and shoulders, burying his face in the cozy material.
He checked his phone – earlier that day, Gao Yingjie had sent a picture of himself wearing the gift that Qiao Yifan had sent him, a pair of thick woolen mittens, as well as a few packets of handwarmers. Winters in B City could be harsh, and Qiao Yifan knew how important it was for Gao Yingjie’s hands to remain warm; his friend had seemed excited about the present. Now, in return, Qiao Yifan took a picture of himself wearing his scarf and sent it to Gao Yingjie, along with his heartfelt thanks.
Team Happy had organized a small Secret Santa-like gift exchange amongst themselves, too. Chen Guo had suggested it, pointing out that it would be a fun celebratory activity, as well as good for team-bonding. Everyone had looked at Mo Fan at that last comment, and although the boy in question glared defiantly back, he still begrudgingly agreed to join.
The exchange hadn’t occurred yet, though; they’d decided to hold it on the weekend. Qiao Yifan had been assigned Luo Ji, whose wishlist had consisted of the note “please get me away from this idiot I’m begging you” and some complicated-sounding math books. Qiao Yifan couldn’t do anything about Steamed Bun, but he hoped Luo Ji would appreciate the book he got.
That left one last unopened present for Qiao Yifan. It was just a wrapped box, impossible to determine what was inside. Chen Guo had given it to him, saying that it had been mailed to the café but was addressed to him; when Qiao Yifan had asked who it was from, the woman only shrugged.
“I don’t know,” she’d said. “Maybe ask Ye Xiu? He laughed when he saw the package was to you, maybe he knows something.” But Qiao Yifan hadn’t gotten around to doing so, and so the mystery gift remained a mystery.
Qiao Yifan unwrapped it carefully, doing his best not to tear the colorful paper. The box inside was simple cardboard; he cut open the tape holding it shut, and pushed the flaps open.
Carefully packaged within was a plant – a succulent, pale silvery-gray leaves arranged in a neat circle, delicate-looking yet sturdy to the touch. Qiao Yifan carefully lifted it out of the box. Only after admiring the symmetry and elegance of the plant did he spot the pale green envelope that had been tucked beneath it.
Not really knowing what to expect, he peeled open the envelope. The card was simple, depicting a wintery scene with evergreens. Inside, the words were penned in crisp black ink, messy yet still somehow graceful in the strokes.
He read:
Dear Qiao Yifan,
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year
Watching you play in recent matches and the Level 75 dungeon, I am truly glad to see the vast progress you have made in such a short time. Ghostblade is the best class for you, and Team Happy the best place for your development. Even though you are no longer a member of Tiny Herb, I still congratulate you on your growth, and I hope that you will do even better this coming year. I look forward to meeting you onstage in true League battle, someday soon.
The plant is Echeveria lilacina, sometimes known as Ghost Echeveria. Instructions for care are enclosed as well. This is a plant that can flourish under the harshest of conditions, and I hope that it reminds you of your inner strength as well.
All the best,
Wang - -
The signature was enough of a scribble that Qiao Yifan could only recognize the first character, but he would know his former captain’s autograph anywhere.
…
…He had just received a personal gift from Captain Wang holy shit –
Seven seconds after finishing the card, the full implications of the gift hit him. Qiao Yifan had no idea what emotion to feel, so he fell back onto his bed and covered his face with his new scarf and tried not to scream.
In some distant part of his mind, the part that wasn’t freaking out, he could hear Ye Xiu’s good-natured teasing – “What are you so worked up about? It’s just Big-Eye Wang, you interact with a bigger god every day, and I daresay I’m more handsome anyway, at least my eyes are the same size…”
It was true that he shouldn’t really be so worked up about this little thing. Tiny Herb was a stage of his life from which he had since graduated. Qiao Yifan loved Happy; he belonged here in a way that he never had at Tiny Herb.
But he had, after all, spent his formative Glory years there. Even just seeing the Tiny Herb members just a few weeks ago in-game in the Level 75 dungeon had inspired such a confusion of emotions for him. Regret? Nostalgia? Embarrassment? Pride? A mixture of everything?
Right now, he was experiencing that same jumble of feelings, except even more amplified. Like everyone else on Tiny Herb, he had revered their resident god. Captain Wang was a good, caring, responsible captain that looked after all of the members, even including those of the reserve team. Qiao Yifan still remembered their occasional one-on-one training sessions, the patience with which the god had instructed him even after his many failures; he remembered, too, the extra care the captain had taken in raising his dearest friend.
Qiao Yifan didn’t resent Captain Wang for letting him go; one door had closed, perhaps, but a better one had opened. But having never talked to him much – possessing neither the status nor the courage to casually approach him – he had assumed that the captain had quickly forgotten about him, moving on to more pressing matters. The fact that the captain had remembered him, had observed him, had put in the thought to send this gift and card to him, a mere weakling…
…but no. He had to stop thinking of himself like that, in such a self-deprecating manner. Wasn’t that the point of this gift, anyway? To remember his strength, to maintain his confidence?
After looking through the instructions for care, Qiao Yifan set the plant on his windowsill where it could get sunlight. Next to it, he propped up the card.
This was his promise, to himself, to everyone watching.
I’m going to do my best.
Team Happy will make it to the Professional League. And we will win the championship!