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City Q, Tyranny's home stadium, Glory Alliance *8th Annual All-Star Weekend
Same yet different...Among the sea of people stood two individuals, a guy, and a girl. For the older male, his brunette hair gleams with hidden fire under the light display of the stadium, much like the man himself. The hazel color in his eyes would sometimes brighten into the shade of aged whiskey when he talks about his interest. As for the female, her youthful looks carry a note of mild anticipation, as her jade-colored eyes scan the surrounding. The long black locks sway behind her as she follows the man to their designated seats.
According to the brochure in her hands, Day One is the Rookie Challenge after the host team finishes their introduction. The technology behind all the fancy VR displays is nothing new to the both of them. Their parents allow them to fund and push through ground-breaking development of the MMORPG that has caught the hearts of millions, all those years ago. Glory. Something that bears so many memories for both of them. It was also because of this game that they met each other and stayed together for nearly seven years. Settling into their seats, they watch the All-Star characters appear, first individuals, follow up by the pairing of each team. Only one particular pair catches the full attention of the man. The one named Lord Grim and Dancing Rain.
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"The one I want to challenge is Happy's Senior Ye Xiu." Li Jiu's voice carried across the stadium.
Everyone was momentarily stunned before they suddenly exploded into a large clamor. Half cheering and half jesting at the kid's bravery, the crowd finally perked up with excitement at the possibility of Ye Xiu losing to a rookie.
The ebony-haired girl, Linyan giggled as she imagined Happy’s Qi Breaker grumbling at their captain. She could see a look of surprise on the usual listless expression as fans of Tyranny booed to their heart's content at their shameless rival. Guess no one in Glory is worthy enough to be their captain's rival, despite Ye Xiu's departure from the pro-scene for one year and a half. The movement she spotted through her binoculars was Wei Chen pushing him out of his seat and the Glory Textbook shook his head helplessly as he slumbers his way to the stage.
The host stood to wait for the former battle god at the stairs, with his mic stretched out way before Ye Xiu stepped onto the platform.
"Senior Ye Xiu, hello. I suppose it's been a while since you've been here?"
Nodding his head, Ye Xiu replied, "Yes."
"Do you have any feelings about returning to this stage?" The host asked with a smile.
That is a loaded question if she ever heard of any. This host purposefully riled the crowd and Ye Xiu's following reply invited the expected response.
"Haha, it's still as noisy as ever," Ye Xiu said.
The audience immediately booed in protest, Lin Yan had to hold back the man she had bugged to tag along, hissing at him to rein in his temper.
"What are your thoughts on being the first one named for the challenge?" the host asked again.
"Fame follows merit," Ye Xiu simply replied
"Ah? What does that mean?" The host was confused.
"To Be Number One!" the master tactician said.
The two of them snicker in their seats as fans of Tyranny boo again after hearing Ye Xiu's answer.
The host took a deep breath before turning his attention to the challenger, asking why he decided to choose Ye Xiu.
"Because Ye Xiu's record this season has been very good. I want to try and challenge him." A reasonable statement, given by the rookie.
When the host teases Li Jiu about him wanting to break the banished god's winning streak, the poor boy shook his head, "No, I don't dare!" However, everyone in the stadium knows that is just an automatic answer, there is no one alive that wouldn't want to defeat Ye Xiu.
"Senior Ye Xiu, would you accept that if you lose this match, you break your winning streak?"
Grinning, Ye Xiu asked, "So if I win, will that count towards my winning streak?"
Shameless, utterly shameless, thought by those who knew him well.
"Haha, sincere fans will surely remember. Is there anything else the two of you would like to say to each other?" The host quickly diverted that loaded answer to a safer topic, concluding the introduction.
"Better work hard, kid. On the battlefield, I'm very serious and very ferocious," Ye Xiu said.
Little did he know he's going to take back that sentence with a bitter pill.
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Before the fourth challenge even started, Ye Xiu knew that this was going to be a repetition of what happened during the first All-Star, when he had to battle through 7 challengers. What are these rookies' thoughts nowadays? Can't they see he is no longer as young and as fast as he used to be? Actually, the main culprit is the Glory Alliance who is playing with him. He knew it the moment the host grabbed him by the arm and refused to let him walk back to his seat.
Moreover, this time around the character he is using is not as straightforward as his former battle mage account, One Autumn Leaf. Lord Grim, being an Unspecialised, with all 24 classes low-level skills, requires lots of chained combos, not to mention if he played through all 7 matches, there wouldn't be any more surprises he thinks he could pull during the battles in the regular season. He recalled that Shaotian managed to break his combo because he had remembered a certain sequence Ye Xiu automatically used to link his low-level skills and broke the chain.
This is HIS final play in the season, that's why he minimized Lord Grim's appearance as much as possible during the team competition during the Challenger League. The less exposure Lord Grim has, the better the chance for his team to make it to the play-offs. And the Alliance seems to know that, by not preparing any alt accounts where he can switch!
Linyan seems to have reached the same conclusion as he did, towards the end of the 4th challenge, Ye Xiu didn't seem as nonchalant as he was supposed to be. His tempo in his gameplay changed slightly, and Linyan is the only one who spotted it.
"He's going to throw in the towel in the next challenge," she remarks.
"Hu, what? How did you know?" The male beside her turns in shock, but before he could further question her reasoning, Linyan stood up and left her seat.
"Where are you heading off to?" he called out. She waved him off and quickened her pace.
Her deduction was accurate, anyone who knows him enough can tell the minute he steps back on to the stage. His body language has betrayed his thoughts; the posture not as limp as it was in the beginning, his attention is now more inward as he waited for the host to call out another challenger. Not surprising, his name was called again. This time, by a rookie named Gai Caijie, from Team Void.
After all the small talks have concluded, Ye Xiu shuffles back to the game booth, still portraying the lazy attitude he is well known for as his mind raced to figure out a way to graciously leave the field. He could force log out, of course, but it’s really very disrespectful to his junior. As he enters the booth, his eyes widen as they set upon an unexpected guest.
As the host calls out to the players at the booth to get ready, a scuffle can be heard from Ye Xiu's booth.
"...Erh, sorry. But could you wait for a moment...stop that!...no, it's not your battle and I'm fine with my decision...give me back my card!!!" The audience is starting to feel baffled. Hasn’t this happened before not long ago? During last year's All-Star? Even the host is feeling a sense of deja vu, as the whispers and hissing gets louder.
"What is holding up Old Ye?" Huang Shaotian whispered towards his captain, his monologue limited to one sentence.
Yu Wenzhou shakes his head, "I am in the dark as you are, Shaotian."
This series of weirdness went on for a while before they heard a muffled but resigned groan through the speakers.
"There has been a change of plans, instead of a usual PVP challenge. Starting now, whoever manages to beat the challenged character gets the chance to fight Lord Grim."
There is an upheaval of protest as the fans start to call out the shameless god for breaking the rules of the rookie challenge. Even the host was stupefied by the unexpected turn of events and tried to reason out with Ye Xiu.
Suddenly, a female voice echoed through the speakers, "The condition stated here is that if you defeat a character, which I am loaning to Ye Xiu. It was not mentioned that he is not playing. You still get to challenge him, but it was not stated it has to be Lord Grim. So...are you game enough?"
The insults of the crowd that is heaping on Ye Xiu went to the unknown female speaker, calling out shameless beyond belief! This female knows how to draw the aggro away from Ye Xiu.
...Are we witnessing the birth of another natural crowd aggro... that is the singular most important thought that appears in the veteran pro-players' minds.
Gao Caijie said, "It is true that the rules never specify that it has to be the same character, but what rights does this give you to interfere in the pro-player rookie challenge? You are not even a pro-player."
"True, but if I were to man this character and whoop your bottom, does that give me enough rights to let Ye Xiu use the character? Why hesitate, or are you too scared to prove me wrong?"
Everyone who had heard her words felt the piercing arrows of trash-talking being slung towards the inexperienced rookie. Fatal hit, that's what the crowd thought.
In the VIP seats for Blue Rain, Huang Shaotian was stunned speechless. "Well, f*ck me! Cannot believe that there is a female capable of trash-talking her way out of this predicament. And very well-aimed barbs at the pride of a pro-player. Who the hell is she? From the way she speaks, it sounds like she knows how to play Glory!"
Over at Tiny Herb, the captain of the team feels that this is like a duplicate of their training sessions with the character Lord Grim at the 10th server. Yingjie blinks when he hears the voice and turns to his mentor.
"Captain Wang, I think I know the owner of that voice..."
Wang Jiexi turns his attention towards his successor, "Are you able to determine her abilities?"
Yingjie nods his head, "Strong, she's very strong. And very versatile with the different characters she owns."
"Oh? Which characters, Yingjie?" inquired the Magician. Yingjie whispers his answer into his ear and Wang Jiexi's eyebrows shoot up in surprise.
In the seats of Team Happy, almost everyone lifts their hands to cover their faces the second they hear THAT voice broadcast throughout the stadium. 'Good God!!! Why is SHE there?!' But then came the second thought, ...she has EVERY right to be there... Bao Rongxing, also known as Baozi, leaps up from his seat, crowning, "You go whoop his as*e, big boss l...."
Wei Chen and Fang Rui quickly covered the hyperactive brawler's mouth, whispering harshly into his ears. Whatever was spoken to him managed to cool him off and he dropped back into his seat and sealed his mouth with his own hands.
After witnessing that interrupted cheer from Happy's stand, everyone seated in the pro-player section became more curious over this mysterious speaker. The only one who does not have a confused look is the captain of Tyranny.
"Captain Han, do you know who is with Senior Ye in the game booth?" Zhang Xinjie asked his indomitable captain.
Han Wenqing gives a slight smirk, "Just wait and see."
The rest of the team members of Tyranny nearly fell off their respective seats upon gazing at their stone-faced leader letting out a smile. Yes, that slight tilt of his lips can be considered as a smile, since it is well-known that their head has no sense of humor when it comes to a Glory challenge match.
Aggravated, Gao Caijie agreed to the impromptu match, much to the crowds' growing amusement and jeering protest. Only one person among the spectators just groans internally as he slides down into his seat.
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GLORY!!!!!!!
The mega-sized screen in the stadium flashes the familiar symbol of victory, but that is not the reason the crowd went silent. It was the who that won the match and how fast it ended. The female amateur beat a rookie pro-player by over a minute.
"What just happened..." The host is at a loss. Never has he witness a victory by a player who isn't from the pro-scene,
"You cheated!!!" cried Gao Caijie
"What proof did you have of your accusation, young grasshopper?" the female replied back.
"You could have asked Senior Ye to control this character!!!" he gushes his teeth, not willing to accept his defeat in the hands of an amateur.
"...Ahh, I overlooked that...Okay, how about a re-match then. This time, Ye Xiu will stand with the host, just to prove that he is not helping me."
My God of Glory! Even the way she speaks is like the Happy's captain, right down to the irresponsible answer!
There are more sounds of scuffling before the door of the game booth opens and everyone sees Ye Xiu gets tossed out like an abandoned puppy. And the description abandoned fits the bill, with the cameras zooming in to show the door slams shut again right in the face of the former Battle God, a look of helplessness graced his face.
"Where were we? Ah, right. Re-match, are you ready?" the female said, completely unaffected by the byplay that happened earlier.
Ye Xiu makes his way next to the host, who widens his eyes in questioning. The pale-skinned male just shakes his head and turns his attention at the display as the two players accepted the match.
As if the Heavens is mocking him, not only did she win again. But the time it took was reduced significantly.
"Impossible!!!" Gao Caijie was about to pull his hair out. How on earth did she do that?! That elementalist is just too OP!!! The random looping of low-level skills as she flirts around his boundaries before unleashing an endless amount of AOE spells! And using all 4 elements?! Are you kidding me? How can a character stand on top of the ice wall created by her own spell and rain her attacks above him?! She literally obliviated his exorcist!
There was no sight of an individual who is known for his keenness to learn. The mature, steady, calm, and reliable personality was hopelessly crushed by this unknown goddess. Yes! Goddess! The crowd is more than convinced that the female manning the male elementalist account is an unknown talent. And judging from her voice, she carries a youthful tone, in contrast with her world-weariness insight of words.
Up in the stands, the pro-players are all in an uproar. It's almost the exact playback of Tang Rou's entrance into the pro-scene. The key difference is that, unlike Tang Rou's explosive burst of her APM, this mystery player has the skills to back up her words!
Gao Caijie walks out from the booth, waiting for this player to step out so that he could properly apologize to her for his rudeness. There are people who played Glory but never came into the pro-scene. Perhaps she is one of them, who hasn't been discovered. After a while, there was no movement made at the other booth. Feeling concerned, the host calls out to the female player still hiding in the booth.
"Erh, little miss. The battle is over, you can step out of the booth now."
"No, thank you. I am fine where I am currently."
"...but the match has ended, shouldn't you step out for Senior Ye Xiu to take over?" the host is getting slightly irritated, and feeling put out for having a conversation with this stranger who refused to come out and meet the crowd.
"You said to step out and let Ye Xiu take over. That means the rest of the matches, which I believe are two more, will still challenge him as the opponent. So no, I'm very comfortable here at where I am currently at, thank you very much!"
The host felt like vomiting copious amounts of blood after hearing her reply. This is getting out of hand!
Ye Xiu muffles his laughter, out of the courtesy of the host. But deep inside, Ye Xiu is feeling comforted by this shameless gesture. Never in his life since his departure from Excellent Era would he experience this form of affection. Not even this twin brother would be bold enough to announce his intention to protect him; he wouldn’t allow it. Yes, he knows what she is doing and he could find no good reason to rebut back.
As the host tries to think of a counter-argument, he turns to the droll god and gestures, "Couldn't you...do something?!"
"How do you propose I should do it? Didn't you see how I was thrown out of the game booth like a ragged doll? And why should I since you have already disclosed that I'm still going to battle my way through, knowing how annoyed I am right now?"
The poor exorcist could only look pitifully at the booth, how is he going to apologize if she refused to step out! Ye Xiu saw the boy's expression. The interior of the booth is made in a manner that there is no way of informing the player inside what's going on with the outside, so he decides to be a bit merciful to the poor boy by calling out.
"Yanzi, your opponent wants to kowtow to you. Can you give him your response?" Gao Caijie sweatdrops at God's comment. He didn't need to be that blunt in his delivery of words, right?
The surrounding people near him googled in surprise. So God Ye knows who is inside? And she goes by the name ‘Yanzi’? They rack their brains, unable to find a player to match that name...
"Huh?...oh, erh...no worries. All's forgiven. Hope you are not too traumatized over our match? Maybe we can exchange pointers again."
Gao Caijie doesn't know whether to cry in frustration or laugh hysterically over the similarities of how well she immaculate God Ye's remarks. Like she's the actual pro-player in the hot seat! In the end, he did neither and just walks off the stage.
"Sooo...who's next? We're wasting time, people. And time means money. Ye Xiu, better fetch a chair nearby and sit just in case there is actually someone strong enough to KO me."
Instant aggro from all rookies from across the stadium!!! Even those experienced players from Happy felt the heightened tension from their newbies. Too arrogant! Too cocky! Who cares if you are a female! Come out and get PK!!!
The host starts to worry he'll have a riot in his hands before he can conclude today's event. He quickly called for the remaining players who were 'chosen' to be Ye Xiu's opponents. Now it seems like there is no other way than to let these two kick her out. The only person without care over the chaos around him is the source of the trouble in the first place.
The two players stood up from their seats in the stand, and Ye Xiu could see who they were from his position.
"Zeng Xinran from Team Hundred Blossoms and Song Qiying from Team Tyranny, one Brawler and one Striker, both are fighter class!" Ye Xiu calls out from his seat.
"...Host, since the match has not started yet. I'm going to change my character."
Whaaaaaat?!?!?! The fans started to jeer at her again, but a shrilling screech from the speakers muted the noise immediately.
"Unless you want to lose your voices, I suggest you keep the volume down to an acceptable range. I do not enjoy doing this but I can and will do it again until everyone knows how to behave like civilized people you are taught to be."
Everyone's jaws dropped at the abolishment given by this girl! Ye Xiu, finally couldn't hold back his mirth, collapsed against his chair, and let out bellows of laughter.
The host quickly starts his interview since they know next to nothing on this particular player. "Since you're already on stage, could you introduce yourself."
"No." Short, sweet and simple.
The host feels like he's going to burst a vein talking to her, then he hits upon an idea. "Senior Ye Xiu, could you ask her to reveal something about her?"
Ye Xiu shook his head, "Do not drag me into doing your job. Unless the Alliance decides to pay me for my part, I may consider..."
Deep breathe, nice and slow...The host did a pep talk to calm himself as the two most shameless individuals he ever met are currently on stage, drawing all the aggro from everywhere...
Huang Shaotian whispers, "I think I am in love..."
Those words have shocked the rest of the Blue Rain into a stupor! Yu Wenzhou raised an eyebrow at him, his calm denouncer not changing even once said, "Oh? Is it because she's like a female counterpart of Senior Ye? Really, Shaotian."
"Pei! Pei! Pei! Pei! Pei! Who says I like her because she's like Old Ye?! I just find it interesting that such a talent is still out for grabs, that's all! If she has not joined any pro-team, let's invite her to Blue Rain!" The others sweat at the awkward cover-up made by their Sword Saint.
Zhang Xinjie blinks at the commotion set off by this unknown female. He took a glance to his right where his captain was seated. The expression on his face is still the harsh appearance of a street thug but the twinkle in his dark eyes took Zhang Xinjie by surprise.
"You do know who she is then." It is not phrased as a question.
Han Wenqing rumbled his reply, "Yes."
"...And?" The Tyranny tactician probes his partner. But his captain didn't continue anymore. He mentally sighs and sits back to observe this girl's battle tactics. If she's really good, maybe they could recruit her into Tyranny. Her talent in drawing people's aggro and her style of trash-talking will be a useful contribution to them.
The spectators wanted to raise hell over the snick remarks but decide against it. No one wants to receive another loadful of that ear-piercing sound from the speakers again!
"Ye Xiu! Do you think I can battle both of them at the same time?" Rows of aggravated roars echo the stadium again but it dies out just as quickly before she could take any action.
"It's actually against the rules and it may not be fair to the rookies chosen," mustered the Glory Textbook.
"Hmm...I know! Why not have a 2v2 instead? I still have another alt account for you so that we can play together against them. Kiddos! Are you game enough to try? Don't worry, I have never played in a pair setting with Ye Xiu before, so this is actually a handicap for us."
The two rookies look at each other before turning their heads to their respective captains. At their nods, permission has been granted and the boys walk up the stage. They can be seen bending their heads close, discussing their strategies along the way to the stage. Ye Xiu stood up and gave his body a good stretch to loosen those stiff muscles that had formed for staying in one place for too long.
Meanwhile, the host ran backstage to talk to the production team about the change proposed, and they gave him the green light.
“Go teach this girl a lesson!! Beat that overbearing shameless man, Little Song!” the shouts in the stadium resounded, supporting him. This was Team Tyranny’s stadium after all, and Song Qiying could be the future successor of Desert Dust, so naturally, he became the focus of the fans' attention.
Ye Xiu steps back into the game booth, the female speaker who had terrorized the rookie earlier looks up from the computer screen.
“Are you sure this is the way you want the entire Alliance to know?” Ye Xiu takes a seat next to her and boots up the tower and card reader.
“They are bound to know soon or later. I like to do it in my own terms. Here’s your alt. It’s something special that our mutual friend made, just for you.”
The foxy smirk on her face made Ye Xiu hesitate before he inserts the card. It took every fiber of his self-control not to blank out after he saw the avatar. As his eyes slowly rise to look at the name, 一叶知秋, Herald of Autumn, he groans in defeat.
“You know he’s been wanting to let you have it, but you are adamant about not accepting it. So this is the only way. He’s your backup character now, take good care of him.”
Ye Xiu let out a long sigh and closes his eyes for a moment. When he finally opens them, his hands are steady and his mind is calm.
“Which class are you using today?”
“The one class that you love to mock every time there is a team competition. That’s the only class I could think of that allows you free rein with minimal distraction.”
“They are never going to let me live this down, you know that?”
“Don’t worry, I take full responsibility. After listening to my reasoning, they have to let you off the hook.” she grins back cheerfully.
“Today’s dinner is on you. You are treating everyone, and I meant every team of the pro-league.”
“...Hmm...whatever, talk later. They are starting the map randomizer now.”
Ye Xiu grumbles a bit more but was inwardly delighted. He cannot wait to see their shocked faces later. Must remind Mucheng to take videos of their expressions later for future extortion.
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The crowd didn't know how to express their conflicting emotions. When the shameless couple loaded their characters, it’s a wonder the noise level did not bring the roof down! Realizing the character being uploaded is a battle mage got everyone hyped but to see the secondary account supporting Ye Xiu is actually a cleric had made everyone feel like flipping the tables at them! Who was the one that said no to cleric in the first place?! Liar! Swindler!! Backstabber!!!
This time the gender of the support class is a female that goes by the name Moonlight Sonata. Some of the fans who played Glory in the earlier days find this name very familiar. Zhang Xinjie is more than familiar with that character. He knows who is the wielder behind that account.
“Captain Han, how did SHE end up knowing Senior Ye?” the Glory Number One Cleric whispered. She's the reason why he decided to become a cleric. Her prowess in the third server is legendary, her combo partner was a launcher and they inflicted terror wherever they went. Both are not affiliated with any guild and neither of them were interested in joining.
“From the sound of your tone, you heard of her reputation, Xinjie. But have you seen her in real life? I have. By the looks from the match, they are not going to end it soon.” Han Wenqing answers his vice-captain’s unspoken question.
Ye Xiu charges forward with his battle mage, as the two rookies tried to figure out their battle tactics as they took turns to charge towards him. Ye Xiu maintains his distance with his lance, trying to build up his chasers. But Song Qiying saw through that and called out to the brawler about Ye Xiu’s intent. The two fighter class kept their attacks at close range, flanking him while waiting for opportunities to attack him with their high damage skills. Practically everyone has forgotten about the cleric until someone casts Wish Prayer over all three players.
“Sh*t!! The cleric!” Both rookies were so focused on the formidable character before them, that they have forgotten about the support class.
“Yanzi, stop wasting your mana! Keep it for yourself!” Ye Xiu called out as he throws out Falling Flower Palm at the brawler for getting too close.
“That spell is not for you. We’re not even in a party. The skill can be used by your opponents too.”
“En Tu, Yanzi?!” Despite the unexpected betrayal, it didn’t slow down Ye Xiu’s tempo as he tries to distance himself.
“Your pitiful juniors are burning through their mana like it’s a ten-course buffet, whereas your bar is still hovering at 80%. Of course, I help the needy,” She happily stated her intention. Song Qiying and Zeng Xinran feel both humiliated and grateful for this unknown player. She brought up an important factor during PVP; use the most effective attack to take down your opponent while keeping track of the mana consumption. After that, their teamwork seems to have flowed much smoothly, much to Ye Xiu’s chagrin.
“Host, how much time do we have left for today?” she called out as she watches the trio duke it out.
“Erh? As long as the match requires actually. Due to Senior Ye Xiu’s swift battles, we have a lot of time.” the host answers, not sure of her purpose of asking.
“En, I see...Then let’s make this more interesting for the viewers at home. Team Happy Baozi, Tang Rou, both of you, come onto the stage. As Ye Xiu’s disciples, show those rookies what your master has taught you!”
After that, everything just went as chaotic as anyone can imagine. No one knows how it happened, but the two rookies of Happy hop into the game booth, and soon after, the current match ends with Ye Xiu managing a draw with the duo fighters. Player 'Yanzi' has force logs off her character halfway during the match.
The viewership shot up the second it was mention that the two members from Happy had direct coaching from the Glory Textbook himself. Everyone wants to see if there are any difference in the training results between the pro-scene and private teaching. It didn’t take long for the 2v2 to start and the match lasts for close to ten minutes. To make things fair, Ye Xiu went over to Song Qiying and Zeng Xinran’s game booth to be their advisor, as the player 'Yanzi' stayed with Happy team as their tactician.
The match itself was not as interesting as the trash-talking being called out from both sides with Ye Xiu and the mysterious 'Yanzi' tries to outdo each other. The match also ends with a draw, gathering cheers from fans that were not from Tyranny. Who cares if its a draw, this is the most entertaining match they have ever encountered. Finally, all the six players from both booths are out to greet the audience.
"That's definitely one of the most unusual rookie challenge competition in the history of Glory! Let's welcome the players. Zeng Xinran, Song Qiying, Bao Rongxing, Tang Rou, Ye Xiu, and 'Yanzi'!" the host gathers everyone at the center of the stage, with the duo fighter class rookies flanking beside Ye Xiu's right side. Beside him, a slender, fair-skinned female is flanked by Tang Rou and Baozi.
Everyone's attention zooms into the hell-raiser, flabbergasted. How can a gentle-looking girl cause this much havoc within a day?! Discussions among the fans turned to an all-time high when one eagle-eyed God Ye fanatic posted a photo of her idol holding said female's hands on-stage as they walked out of the booth in Weibo. And their fingers are intertwined!!! For the first time since its inception, Weibo crashed......all because of that photo......Among the pro-players chatroom in QQ, Chu Yunxiu downloaded the photo in the nick of time before the crash and posted it in their pro-scene private chat, reserved only for Ye Xiu's closest frenemies. Several heartbreaks could be heard echoing across the Alliance.
The host uses his right hand to press onto the listening device, as the production team relays the details of the photo and the public's reaction to it.
"Senior Ye Xiu, we have received information that your relationship with Player Yanzi is not purely acquaintance. Who is she to you?"
Ye Xiu tilts his head at the question, before taking the microphone off from the host’s grip and replies. His eyes never left the girl beside him as he made his announcement to the whole of Glory Alliance.
“...She is...my wife…Lawfully wedded, of course...”
The stadium is in a complete standstill as the man known as God of Glory drops the bomb. Their minds keep replaying that first four words, locked in an endless loop. You can hear a pin drop if anyone bothers to do it.
“I think we finally broke them, Xiu-ge. Come on, Tang-jie and Baozi. Let’s leave the stage before our host realized it.” Player ‘Yanzi’ tugs her husband’s arm as she pushes the other two to hasten their pace.
The foursome quickly fled the scene, taking the nearest exit to depart from the stage. Members of Happy have already recovered from the declaration Ye Xiu made. After all, it was common knowledge among the team. They just weren't expecting the couple to make a public reveal of their changed status. After watching them dashing off the stage, they too, quickly make their departure from the stand. Mucheng was giggling as she took photos of all the pro-players’ expressions as they escaped. Another individual also makes his way out from the spectator’s seats.
After a while, one fan snapped out of it and raised the alert when it was known that there were only two players, excluding the host. The host couldn’t do anything except to quickly wrap up the show as every able-bodied individual started a manhunt for the elusive god, and his plus one. The pro-teams left the stadium soon after, their departure slightly delayed as reporters tried to get information from them.
...No, they do not know any of this. Yes, this comes as a surprise to them as well. No, they do not know where Team Happy is, they must have left before the program ends...
Somehow, they freed themselves from the hyenas and headed for their transports. Each and every one of them have one thing in their mind: contact Su Mucheng.
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The next morning, everyone gets another rude awakening, when the photos of their friends appeared on the front page, with the headlines: 'Runaway Heir to the Ye Corporation Finally Tied the Knot with the Sole Heiress of the Bai Consortium.'
"YE XIUUUUUUUU!!!!!!!!!"