Chapter 18: The Woman Chosen by Moon God
Shen Yanjin noticed that Duan Mingyueâs end had become quieter by more than just a little. He was a bit curious but afraid Duan Mingyue would think he was overstepping, so he didnât ask aloud. Instead, he secretly opened Kai’s stream in another window.
Inside the stream, the chubby little guy’s expression was strange, almost solemn.
“The enemy Tata plays too insidiously?” Kai retorted loudly, “This comment! Why are your words so vicious? Thatâs called sharp, thatâs called excellent awareness. Do you understand WL or not?”
“What adulterous couple? They are such a well-matched couple. Just because youâre a single dog and play worse than them doesn’t mean you can say such jealousy-filled words. Thatâs not positive energy at all!”
“Couple? How do I know if theyâre a couple? Has Moon God really been green-hatted (cheated on)? I-I-I-I…” He stuttered “I” for a long time without following up, then simply started talking nonsense: “Is it important? Moon-U is real, just spam it and be done. Who said it just now? Moon God lost, Moon-U didn’t lose!”
“…?”
What was going on with this style?
Did he enter the wrong stream room?
Didn’t he say he was going to execute justice? Where did that execution go?
Confused, Shen Yanjin closed the stream room.
He idled in the fountain for a while. Duan Mingyue didn’t ask what he was doing, soloing the Dragon by himself, then went bot lane for a counter-gank to protect the carry’s rhythm.
Only when Shen Yanjin tabbed back and finished buying items did he speak: “Come, I’ll take you to get Blue Buff.”
Shen Yanjin paused and hurriedly typed: [No need, no need, my sustain item is almost done.]
Duan Mingyue laughed: “It’s fine. It’s the enemy’s anyway; might as well take it. Come mid.”
Go mid to take Blue?
Shen Yanjin didn’t understand for a moment. He switched screens to look at mid lane.
On the minion wave, Kai was stepping on a freshly spawned blue circle beneath his feet.
Alright then.
Shen Yanjin couldn’t help but laugh: Brother, you really hold a grudge.
Duan Mingyue said, “He wants to execute justice, so we must carry it out to the end too.”
Shen Yanjin felt this made a lot of sense. Holding his bell, he walked unhurriedly to the mid lane.
Kai looked at the adulterous couple jumping out of the bush on his screen, and his character once again controlled to death, unable to move. He gritted his teeth: “Deeply in love! Entering and exiting together every gank, truly deeply in love! A match made in heaven!”
He was a bit numb now. He estimated he’d have nightmares tonight, dreams full of hook chains and ringing bells.
Things having developed to this point, even a fool could see Kai was being targeted by the opponents.
The bullet screen expressed confusion.
[What’s the situation? Stream sniping?]
[Probably stream sniping, heard Little K talking smack, so revenge came.]
[Even stream sniping? As expected of an internet princess with her own Jungle King. Awesome.]
[This woman finishes flirting and turns to the next one immediately? That’s too much. Heartache for Moon God. Indeed, Lucida is true love.]
[Heartache for Moon God.]
[Am I the only one envious of UOOW’s Jungle King attracting constitution? To be honest, this Moon Steed is really strong too. I’m craving.]
[Me too.]
[+1]
The internet’s kindness, malice, and direction always changed easily. Separated by a network cable and a keyboard, with no need to take responsibility, people said whatever felt good. Good words or bad words depended entirely on mood.
In the blink of an eye, UOOW went from being the female lead of an envied super-sweet CP to a manipulative Green Tea Bitch/White Lotus.
As someone in the know, Kai had ten thousand bitter words he couldn’t say.
He hurriedly stopped the rhythm: “Mods, hurry up and ban those starting rumors. What stream sniping? Don’t talk nonsense without evidence. Being caught many times only proves the opponent has seen through the aura of a strong player on me, understand?”
[What’s wrong with Little K? He’s been speaking up for that Jungle-Support pair since just now.]
[Don’t tell me you’ve also been poisoned by UOOW!]
This pot was getting too big to carry.
Kai said angrily, “Do I look like someone who would steal a partner from a brother?” After speaking, he realized he slipped up, fearing the audience would guess Duan Mingyue’s identity, so he hurriedly added as an afterthought: “Anyway, the game is one thing, rhythm is another. Mods, work a bit harder; ban anyone you see starting rhythm immediately. I’m kind-hearted, can’t stand seeing this.”
The bullet screen commented one after another that if he was kind-hearted, then he belonged to the reincarnation of a living Buddha.
Fortunately, the rhythm was suppressed and didn’t cause too much trouble.
But even if it hadn’t been suppressed, Shen Yanjin wouldn’t care about this bit of rhythm. Having played professionally for five years, he had long been cursed from his ancestors eighteen generations back to his descendants eighteen generations forward. It was to the extent that keyboard warriors had hollowed out his ancestral graves.
Just being the subject of some rhythm had nothing to do with Duan Mingyue, so he couldn’t be bothered to pay attention.
Now, his entire mind and body were focused on the match before him.
Duan Mingyue controlled his damage perfectly. After one combo, only a thin sliver of health was left on Kai. Shen Yanjin attacked with a basic attack, harvesting a kill plus the Blue Buff.
Kai was caught three times; the outer tower in mid lane had already lost more than half its health. After taking Kai’s head, the minion wave arrived just in time. Shen Yanjin happily followed Duan Mingyue to eat the First Tower gold. The two were filthy rich, bounties on their heads, leading the opponent’s economy by three thousand gold.
This rhythm was too ruthless, too sharp, and too suffocating, giving the enemy absolutely no chance to turn the tables. And this was precisely the rhythm YanGold and RedMoon were most familiar with five years ago.
Clutching the bell, Shen Yanjin thought somewhat distractedly: With my pure shielding soft support play, Duan Mingyue can still lead me in a roaming strategy. No wonder Duan Mingyue rejected me so decisively back thenâKW Team never relies on supports; they weren’t just saying it for fun.
If the support played well, it was icing on the cake; if they played poorly, it wouldn’t make things worse.
He had always just acted on a whim; actually, he wasn’t needed at all.
Shen Yanjin was severely blocked by his sudden emotion, then scoffed. Why did he love finding unhappiness for himself every day?
So, in the following operations, he was somewhat absent-minded.
After the mid outer tower fell, the opponent’s two jungle areas also fell. Duan Mingyue took Shen Yanjin walking sideways (arrogantly), unstoppable.
Knowing Tata was his own captain, Kai began to avoid the sharp edge, either hiding under the tier-two tower to farm minions and develop, or secretly roaming to other lanes to steal kills. Back and forth, he actually managed to get by.
The Mid-Season Invitational Champion Mid Laner wasn’t just talk. Kai scrambled together his key items and began camping in bushes to ambush people, hitting accurately every time. His Hammer Girl had a reputation; he had picked her many times in competitions, with an excellent win rate.
The slender girl carrying a giant hammer leaped agilely into the Red Buff bush in Duan Mingyue’s jungle.
His timing was just right. The moment he jumped into the bush, vision disappeared, safely covering Kai’s character in darkness.
[666, old camper.]
[Hahahahahaha Hammer Girl starts squatting again.]
[Waiting by a stump for a rabbit to crash into it winning strategy.]
[You, a pro player, playing a Diamond game, is it necessary to be this serious?]
Kai happened to take a sip of water during the break. Seeing the bullet screen’s questioning, he couldn’t explain, so he could only say angrily: “What do you mean is it necessary to be this serious… this is called having sportsmanship, okay!”
Finished, seeing Tata and Bell Spirit’s figures appearing on the screen, he hurriedly focused, throwing his attention back into the game.
At the same time, to prevent long nights and many dreams (unexpected trouble), he specifically called his teammates, poking signals randomly on the map.
Shen Yanjin’s heart wasn’t really on the game, plus the vision in this bush had disappeared less than ten seconds ago. He didn’t pay attention at all and directly face-checked the bush, revealing the three big men hiding inside.
His scalp explodedâat this time point, Baron had just spawned. Once he and Duan Mingyue died, not only would the jungle-support rhythm break, but Baron would also be taken by the opponent, and the situation could very likely be reversed!
And all this was because of his fatal mistake due to absent-mindedness.
It was just a ranked match.
Just a Diamond game of noobs pecking at each other.
But Shen Yanjin couldn’t think of anything else. His heart had only one thought at this moment: Duan Mingyue cannot die.
Kai was very smart. Knowing this Bell Spirit built semi-tank items and had better equipment than himself, it would be hard to insta-kill. So he only applied crowd control to Shen Yanjin, pouring all damage onto Duan Mingyue.
A starved camel is still bigger than a horse. Hammer Girl already countered Tata, plus he brought two teammates. Duan Mingyue frowned, reacting extremely fast with a retreat plus Flash. However, in the face of solid damage, mechanics were limited. In a split second, his health bar entered a critical state.
Three against two, Kai felt it still wasn’t enough and threw a healing reduction debuff onto the low-health Duan Mingyue.
Under this buff’s effect, even if Shen Yanjin shielded him, it would be classified as an invalid operation.
Looking at the debuff on him, he smiled helplessly and comforted aloud: “It’s fine, you hurry and go, we’ll fight back next wave.”
UOOW didn’t type, didn’t act cute, and didn’t obediently run away.
Control time ended. She leaped, flashing accurately in front of Duan Mingyue, blocking the last fatal skill for him. Immediately turning sideways, the shield generator activatedânot for Duan Mingyue, but for herself.
Two seconds, three enemies, over a dozen skills. All were forcefully tanked by UOOW using unadorned positioning and shields. Duan Mingyue, with only a few drops of blood left, was protected behind her, actually unharmed.
Two seconds later, the healing reduction effect ended. A thick white shield appeared on Duan Mingyue’s health bar, pulling him back from the line of life and death.
Immediately, UOOW, also left with only a sliver of health, took out the Soul-Eating Bell, shook it gently, rooted the three enemies into wooden stakes, and began the counter-attack.
Kai stared blankly at his gray screen, completely dumbfounded.
He said in confusion: “What is this? Can someone tell me what this is?? What on earth was that positioning? Am I-Am I-Am I f*cking really playing a Diamond game?”
UOOW’s positioning just now was as if she read his mind; wherever he aimed skills, they only hit her. By the end, Kai was numb, feeling like even his underwear was seen through by UOOW.
Even more terrifying was Duan Mingyue’s ridiculously fast reaction, coordinating to kite and distance, making it so he couldn’t land a basic attack no matter how hard he tried.
Basic attacks couldn’t reach, skills couldn’t hit, and finally, he was taken away by a counter-attack combo.
It was one thing for Duan Mingyue to have such mechanics, but how was UOOW also this showy?
That set of clearly unadorned yet scalp-numbing positioning was still before his eyes. He muttered to himself: “Damn… as expected of the woman chosen by Moon God. Ridiculous.”
Chapter 19: Seen Through?
Seeing the situation reversed, Shen Yanjin let out a long breath, finally putting his heart back in his chest.
Just now, he really broke out in a cold sweat. It had been a long time since he felt this kind of panic.
Fortunately… fortunately, Duan Mingyue didn’t die.
Duan Mingyueâs voice came through, seemingly carrying a smile yet not a smile: “Wow, UOOW, you’re amazing.”
Shen Yanjin, still in shock, subconsciously replied, “Moon God, are you okay? Scare… scared me to death.”
“I’m fine.” Duan Mingyue recalled to base, his tone relaxed. “But I’m a bit curious. How did you judge that Kai would throw skills at those positions?”
Shen Yanjin froze.
How to judge?
This… this was purely instinct honed over years of playing against top-tier mid laners.
Or rather, it was muscle memory.
Facing Duan Mingyue’s question, Shen Yanjin’s brain spun rapidly. He stammered, “I… I guessed! A woman’s sixth sense is very accurate!”
“Is that so?” Duan Mingyue chuckled meaningfully. “Then your sixth sense is really terrifyingly accurate.”
Shen Yanjin felt guilty and didn’t dare continue the topic. He quickly changed the subject: “Moon God, Baron is up, let’s go take Baron!”
Duan Mingyue didn’t press further and followed his words: “Okay, go take Baron.”
Although he muddled through on the surface, Shen Yanjin knew in his heart that Duan Mingyue had definitely become suspicious.
That wave of operation just now was indeed too inconsistent with a “Diamond female player.” Even if he explained it with a “sixth sense,” it was too far-fetched.
But what could he do? He couldn’t just watch Duan Mingyue die, right?
Shen Yanjin sighed silently. One step wrong, every step wrong. Now he could only take it one step at a time.
After taking Baron, the game entered the “garbage time” of pushing high ground.
With the Baron buff, their minions were strengthened. The enemy, having lost three members and their mid outer towers, had no power to defend against the push.
Shen Yanjin followed Duan Mingyue, dismantling towers one by one. The crisp sound of towers collapsing was like a countdown to victory.
However, Kai on the opposite side seemed unwilling to give up. After respawning, he typed in the All-Chat:
[[All] KW-Kai (Hammer Girl): Wait wait wait! Don’t push yet! Let’s have a solo battle at Baron pit!]
[[All] KW-Kai (Hammer Girl): 1v1 man to man fight! Dare you accept?]
Shen Yanjin looked at the chat and couldn’t help laughing.
This Kai was really… childish.
Duan Mingyue clearly thought the same. He ignored Kai’s provocation completely and commanded directly: “Ignore him, push the crystal.”
“Okay.” Shen Yanjin obeyed unconditionally.
Under the desperate resistance of the remaining two enemies, their crystal exploded into fireworks.
VICTORY.
The big victory word appeared on the screen. Shen Yanjin put down the mouse and rubbed his somewhat sore wrist.
That intense operation just now had burdened his hand quite a bit.
But looking at the victory screen and Duan Mingyue’s ID, he felt it was all worth it.
“Played well,” Duan Mingyue said in the voice channel. “Want to continue?”
Shen Yanjin hesitated. His hand hurt a bit, and he was afraid playing more would reveal more flaws. But the temptation to play with Duan Mingyue was too great.
Just as he was struggling, Duan Mingyue spoke again: “If you’re tired, we can stop here for today. I also have some things to deal with.”
Shen Yanjin hurriedly went down the slope: “Okay, okay! Then Moon God, you go busy yourself, I… I’ll go rest too!”
“En. See you next time.”
“See you next time!”
After exiting the voice channel, Shen Yanjin collapsed into his gaming chair as if drained of all strength.
So dangerous, so dangerous.
He picked up his phone and opened WeChat, wanting to complain to his friend, but then realized he couldn’t tell anyone about this.
Pretending to be a woman to fall in love online with a big shot… if this got out, his reputation would be ruined.
Shen Yanjin stared blankly at the ceiling for a while, then suddenly sat up and opened the replay of the match just now.
He dragged the progress bar to that team fight in the wild.
Watching the Bell Spirit on the screen moving gracefully, blocking skills and controlling the field, Shen Yanjin himself was a bit dazed.
Was this really him playing?
Retiring for a year, he thought his skills had degraded severely. He didn’t expect that in a moment of crisis, he could still pull off such operations.
“Maybe… I can still play?” He muttered to himself, a trace of extinguished hope rekindling in his eyes.
But immediately, the throbbing pain from his wrist mercilessly poured a basin of cold water on him.
Shen Yanjin smiled bitterly, closing the replay.
What was he thinking? His hand was already like this; going back to professional play was a fool’s dream.
Being able to accompany Duan Mingyue like this occasionally was already a steal of happiness.
On the other side, inside the KW base.
Duan Mingyue took off his headphones, leaned back in his chair, and lit a cigarette.
The smoke swirled, blurring his handsome face.
On the computer screen, the match settlement page was still displayed.
His gaze stayed on UOOW’s ID for a long time.
“Sixth sense…” Duan Mingyue chuckled lightly, flicking the ash.
He wasn’t a fool. How could he believe such nonsense?
That positioning, that reaction, that awareness of protecting the carry… it wasn’t something a casual player could possess.
It looked more like… a professional support’s subconscious reaction.
And it was a very top-tier professional support.
But in the domestic e-sports circle, female professional players were rare as phoenix feathers and unicorn horns, let alone a support of this level.
Who exactly was this UOOW?
Duan Mingyue fell into deep thought.
Suddenly, a thought flashed through his mind.
He remembered a person.
A person who had disappeared from the e-sports circle for a year.
HG-Sliver. Shen Yanjin.
Back then, Shen Yanjin’s playstyle was known for being aggressive and risky, completely different from UOOW’s protective style.
But… that sense of familiarity, that seamless coordination…
Duan Mingyue frowned.
Could it be him?
But UOOW was a girl. The voice, the tone, the coquettishness… it didn’t match Shen Yanjin at all.
Moreover, didn’t Shen Yanjin retire because of a hand injury?
Duan Mingyue shook his head, denying this absurd guess.
Maybe he was overthinking it. Maybe there really was a hidden expert among the folk.
He stubbed out the cigarette, picked up his phone, and sent a message to Kai.
[RedMoon: Come to the training room.]
A minute later, Kai pushed the door open and entered, looking dejected.
“Captain… I was wrong.” Kai hung his head, looking like a child who did something wrong.
Duan Mingyue looked at him and asked calmly, “What were you wrong about?”
“I shouldn’t have stream sniped… shouldn’t have been arrogant…” Kai’s voice got smaller and smaller.
“Anything else?”
“Also… shouldn’t have lost to a Diamond player.”
Duan Mingyue smiled. “You know you lost?”
“I know…” Kai said gloomily. “That UOOW is really evil. Captain, do you know who she is? Is she a smurf from some team?”
Duan Mingyue didn’t answer but asked, “What did you feel when fighting her?”
Kai thought for a moment and said seriously, “Suffocating. Very suffocating. Every move I made seemed to be calculated by her. It felt like… felt like fighting those top supports in the league.”
Hearing Kai’s evaluation, the doubt in Duan Mingyue’s heart grew heavier.
Even Kai felt this way. It seemed UOOW’s identity was indeed not simple.
“Check her IP for me,” Duan Mingyue said suddenly.
Kai looked up in surprise. “Ah? Captain, you want to check her info? Isn’t that… not good?”
“Just check the approximate location,” Duan Mingyue said indifferently. “I’m curious.”
“Oh… okay.” Kai didn’t dare to disobey and turned to leave.
“Wait.” Duan Mingyue called him back. “Don’t tell anyone about this.”
“Understood!” Kai nodded repeatedly and slipped away.
Duan Mingyue looked at the empty doorway, his eyes deep.
UOOW… whoever you are, I’ll find you.
Shen Yanjin didn’t know he had been targeted.
He was currently struggling with his dinner.
Instant noodles again.
Since retiring, his life had become very sloppy. Without the club’s auntie cooking, he often made do with whatever.
While eating noodles, he scrolled through Weibo.
As expected, the topic #KW-Kai Lose to Internet Princess# had already climbed the trending search.
The comments were mixed. Some mocked Kai for being bad, some praised UOOW for being strong, and some speculated about UOOW’s identity.
Shen Yanjin watched with relish, even using his alt account to like a few comments praising UOOW.
Suddenly, a private message popped up.
It was from the “Moon God’s Little Wife” account he used to lurk in the fan group.
[Sister! Did you see! Moon God and that UOOW duo queued again!]
[And Kai got beaten so badly! Hahaha!]
[But UOOW is really strong. Do you think she might join KW?]
Shen Yanjin choked on his noodles.
Join KW?
Me?
Stop joking.
He coughed a few times, replying with trembling hands: [Impossible, KW doesn’t recruit female players.]
[That’s true… what a pity. If Moon God could really pair up with such a strong support, KW might take another championship next year.]
Shen Yanjin looked at this sentence, feeling a sourness in his heart.
Take another championship…
That was his dream too.
It was the dream of every professional player.
But he… had no chance.
He put down the phone, suddenly losing his appetite.
Looking at the cooling instant noodles, Shen Yanjin felt an unspeakable desolation.
Just then, the phone screen lit up again.
WeChat notification.
[Moon Steed: Are you there?]
Shen Yanjin’s heart skipped a beat.
Why was Duan Mingyue looking for him again?
Was it to expose him? Or…
He took a deep breath, picked up the phone, and typed carefully: [I’m here, Moon God~ What’s up? QAQ]
[Moon Steed: Nothing. Just wanted to ask, do you have any interest in playing professionally?]
Boom!
Shen Yanjin felt a thunderclap explode in his mind.
Playing professionally?
Duan Mingyue invited him to play professionally?
His hands shook so much he could hardly hold the phone.
Countless thoughts surged in his mind.
Excitement, fear, hesitation, despair…
He wanted to agree. He wanted to agree so badly!
To be able to stand beside Duan Mingyue, to fight with him… that was a scene he had dreamed of countless times!
But… his hand… his identity…
Shen Yanjin bit his lip tightly until he tasted blood.
He closed his eyes, forcing himself to calm down.
He couldn’t agree.
He couldn’t harm Duan Mingyue, couldn’t harm KW.
A cripple, a liar… what right did he have to stand on that dazzling stage?
Shen Yanjin opened his eyes, typing word by word, his heart bleeding with every word.
[UOOW: Sorry Moon God… I don’t have that intention. I just play games for fun~ Besides, I’m a girl, playing professionally is too tiring, I can’t take it >_<]
After sending it, Shen Yanjin seemed to collapse, slumping on the table.
Tears, uncontrollably, fell drop by drop, landing in the instant noodle soup, creating tiny ripples.
On the other end, Duan Mingyue looked at the reply on the phone, a flash of disappointment in his eyes.
Refused?
“Just playing for fun…” He muttered, repeating this phrase.
If it was really just for fun, could she reach that level?
He didn’t believe it.
But since the other party refused, he couldn’t force it.
[Moon Steed: Okay. If you change your mind, you can find me anytime.]
Shen Yanjin looked at this message, crying and laughing at the same time.
Change my mind?
I will never change my mind.
Because I… am not qualified to change my mind.
He turned off the phone screen, burying his head in his arms, letting the darkness engulf him.
In the silent room, only the sound of suppressed sobbing echoed softly.
The spider plant on the balcony swayed gently in the night wind, the small flower bud appearing fragile yet tenacious in the darkness.
Just like Shen Yanjin’s dream.
Broken, yet still longing to bloom.
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