Chapter 697
The Audience in Unbearable Pain
The live stream fell into a deathly silence for three seconds.
Then, the barrage of comments exploded in a devastating manner!
【？？？？？？？？？？？】
[Holy crap?! What did I just see?! hope Ran's wife?!]
[In the middle of the night, dressed in pajamas, carrying fruit, he entered Mozi's room?!]
[Case solved, brothers!! Is this the reward for winning the FMVP championship?!]
No wonder Mozi kept saying he wanted to leave work on time! Turns out there was such a big surprise waiting for him at the hotel!!
hope Ran's face instantly turned red to the roots of her neck. She hurriedly put down the fruit box and stammered, "Ah...you, you're live streaming? Well, you go ahead and do your work. Good evening, everyone..."
After saying that, she covered her face and ran out of the room like a frightened little rabbit, slamming the door shut.
Su Mo looked at the fruit on the table, then glanced at the completely frenzied barrage of comments.
A rare, bitter smile flickered across his face, a face that usually remained impassive even in the face of a collapsing mountain.
He didn't panic and try to explain, because in this circle, the more you explain, the worse it gets.
Su Mo calmly picked up a toothpick, stuck a piece of Sunshine Rose grape into his mouth, and even nodded at the camera.
"The grapes are quite sweet."
The phrase "The grapes are quite sweet" immediately propelled the live stream's viewership to a peak of over 30 million!
He admitted it! He didn't even try to hide it!!
[The grapes are pretty sweet! Are these grapes even real?!]
【Don't use the Xiran Blade to kill me!! My bilingual goddess!!】
[Am I the only one who noticed? Just now, Yu Shuang and Rita were also sending gifts using their main accounts next door! What does that mean?! It means they're all on the same floor!!]
[Brother Mozi, can you teach me how to play top lane? It's not about winning the world championship, I just want to learn how to eat grapes!]
"Alright, it's getting late. I need to catch an early flight back to China tomorrow." Su Mo glanced at the time and decisively moved the mouse to the button to close the live stream.
"Thank you all for your company. See you back home. Goodnight everyone."
Amidst cries of "Don't end the broadcast! Explain yourself!", Su Mo pressed the close button without hesitation. The screen instantly went dark.
He leaned back in his chair, ate a piece of cantaloupe, and couldn't help but smile as he recalled Xiran's adorable way of running away earlier.
On this last night in a foreign land, there was the supreme glory that belonged to the champion, and also his own tender feelings.
The following morning, Seoul's sunlight shone through the thin clouds onto the hotel's glass curtain wall.
Su Mo got up very early. He methodically packed his peripherals, clothes, and the heavy FMVP trophy into his custom-made black suitcase. Just as he zipped it up, there was a gentle knock on the door.
hope Ran stood outside the door. Today she was wearing a very low-key beige trench coat and a black baseball cap, with most of her face covered by a mask, revealing only a pair of slightly anxious eyes.
"Come in." Su Mo turned to the side.
hope Ran walked into the room, took off her mask, her cheeks still flushed. She bit her lower lip and whispered, "Brother Mo, I'm sorry... I didn't notice you were live-streaming last night. Did I cause you any trouble? The trending topics on Weibo in China are all screenshots of me bringing fruit into your room..."
Su Mo turned around, picked up the black thermos on the table, and slowly unscrewed the lid, taking a sip of warm water. He stretched out his free right hand and naturally ruffled hope Ran's hair.
"It's no big deal." Su Mo's tone was calm and gentle, with a reassuring quality. "The internet only remembers things for three days. After a few days, people will get tired of it and move on. You don't need to feel guilty. It's a small matter."
As they were talking, the door to the next room opened. Yu Shuang, Rita, Luo Xin, and Xiao Yu walked in together. They had obviously also seen the online uproar, but to protect Su Mo and Xi Ran, the five girls dressed more discreetly than ever before. All of them were dressed casually, with sunglasses, masks, and bucket hats as standard accessories, completely toning down their usual radiant female host aura in front of the camera.
Yu Shuang carefully checked Su Mo to make sure he hadn't forgotten anything, and said softly, "Mo Zi, when we go to the airport later, the five of us won't travel with the EDG team. There are too many media outlets in China watching you right now. If we appear in the same frame as you, it will only make things worse than last night. We'll take another bus with the official staff, and we'll get together again when we get back to China."
“Yes, yes, yes,” Luo Xin nodded seriously, wearing a pair of large black-rimmed glasses. “Today you are the hero who has returned with the trophy. The main characters can only be you and the EDG team members. We won’t steal the spotlight.”
Su Mo looked at these sensible girls, whose kindness was heartbreaking, and a hint of tenderness flashed in his eyes. He didn't refuse further, but simply nodded: "Okay, be careful on the road, and send a message when you get to Shanghai."
At 10:30 a.m., the entire EDG team gathered in the hotel lobby with their luggage.
The bus slowly drove towards Seoul Incheon International Airport. Although it was an away game victory, a large number of Korean fans and several Korean e-sports media outlets still gathered in the departure hall of Incheon Airport after hearing the news.
Faced with the flashing lights, the young Ah Chen and Xiao Yue shrank back a little, while JackeyLove and Meiko, who were used to big scenes, smiled and waved to the fans.
Walking at the back of the group, Su Mo was wearing a simple, plain black hooded sweatshirt, zipped all the way up, a black baseball cap without any logo, and a black face mask. He was pushing a suitcase with one hand and holding a thermos steadily in the other.
When a South Korean reporter handed him a microphone, Su Mo simply stopped, nodded slightly, and said briefly in fluent Korean, "Thank you for your support, everyone. You've worked hard." He then walked calmly into the VIP security checkpoint. He didn't display any ostentatious display of victory, remaining as unassuming as an ordinary international business traveler.
The two-hour flight passed in the blink of an eye.
At 3 p.m., the flight landed smoothly at Shanghai Pudong International Airport.
As soon as the plane came to a stop, the atmosphere in the cabin became visibly restless. Coach Mingkai looked at the constant stream of messages popping up on his phone, turned to his players and gave a wry smile: "Brothers, be prepared. Abu just messaged me saying that the arrival hall is completely packed, not only with fans, but also with almost all the mainstream sports and e-sports media in China."
"Holy crap, is this outrageous?" Ah Chen swallowed hard.
Su Mo stood up, took off his backpack, and said calmly, "Let's go. We have to face what we have to face. Tianye, Jack, you two go to the sides and protect Ah Chen and Xiao Yue in the middle. Don't let the media's microphones get in their way."
The group followed the passageway towards the arrival hall. As soon as they stepped out of the automatic glass doors, a deafening roar assaulted their senses!
"EDG!!! Champions!!!"
"Brother Mozi!!! Welcome home!!!"
The entire arrival hall was practically a sea of red and black. Countless banners were held high, and deafening cheers echoed through the spacious airport terminal. Hundreds of cell phones and professional camera flashes created a blinding glare.
Security personnel set up a long cordon, but it still couldn't stop the enthusiastic crowd.
At the very front, dozens of media reporters wearing various name tags, like sharks smelling blood, completely blocked EDG's only path. A barrage of microphones and other equipment was immediately thrust in front of the team members.
"Mo God! Congratulations on winning your seventh consecutive championship! What's the thing you most want to do right now?"
"Coach Mingkai! Does this 3-0 sweep of T1 mean that LPL has completely crushed LCK?"
"Su Mo! Was the girl who appeared in your room during last night's live stream really the official host hope Ran? Are you two dating?"
The questions were increasingly pointed, especially the gossip about last night's live broadcast. Several entertainment channel reporters even tried to force their way through the security cordon and shove a recording pen into Su Mo's mouth.
Faced with this chaotic scene, Ah Chen and Xiao Yue were clearly frightened and instinctively took a step back.
Just then, Su Mo stepped forward and stood firmly in front of the two newcomers.
He showed no panic, nor did he show any displeasure at being blocked. He simply switched the thermos to his left hand with one hand, and gently pressed down with his right hand, making a gesture of quiet.
This simple gesture carried an indescribable sense of authority. The reporters in the front row instinctively fell silent for a moment, and the cheering fans gradually lowered their voices.
Su Mo pulled his mask down slightly, revealing his deep, calm eyes.
"First of all, thank you all for coming to pick me up. You've all worked hard, please be careful and avoid crowding." Su Mo's voice was clearly heard through the microphone in the front row.
"Regarding the match, this is the result of the collective efforts of our entire EDG team. Bringing the trophy back to the LPL is an honor for all of us. As for the future, we will continue to be respectful and play every match well."
He paused for a moment, his gaze sweeping calmly over the entertainment reporter who had just asked the gossip question.
"As for the little incident during last night's live stream," Su Mo said frankly and naturally, without the slightest evasion, "Since we all work overseas year-round, it's perfectly normal for colleagues and friends to take care of each other and send each other fruit. I hope everyone can focus more on esports itself and this championship trophy that belongs to the LPL. As for my personal life, I don't have much to share."
This answer was flawless. It neither denied the friendly relationship between the two, nor did it deny any ambiguous speculation by referring to them as "colleagues and friends," while also forcefully steer the conversation back to the topic of winning the championship.
After saying that, Su Mo put his mask back on and bowed slightly to the camera: "Our team members are all very tired and need to go back to the base to rest. Please make way for us, thank you for your cooperation."
That innate composure and low-key demeanor made the media present feel embarrassed to continue their pursuit. Security personnel seized the opportunity and finally managed to squeeze a path through the crowd.
Protecting his teammates, Su Mo calmly made his way through the crowd to the club bus parked outside the airport.
In a corner of the hall in the distance.
Five girls who had just emerged from another regular passage were quietly watching this scene.
Wearing a fisherman's hat, hope Ran watched Su Mo's back as he effortlessly protected his teammates amidst the barrage of cameras and quelled the controversy surrounding her with just a few words, and her eyes welled up slightly.
"See, I told you, as long as he's there, he can hold up the sky with one hand even if it falls down." Rita lowered the brim of her hat, a reassuring smile on her lips.
Yu Shuang gently took hope Ran and Luo Xin's arms and whispered, "Alright, let's stop watching. Mo Zi dislikes being in the spotlight. Let's hurry to the underground parking garage and take a taxi back to the city. Let's not cause him any trouble."
Xiaoyu nodded. The five girls went unnoticed by anyone, like a few ordinary returning travelers, and quietly turned and disappeared into the bustling crowds at Pudong Airport.
The bus slowly drove into the gate of the Shanghai EDG base.
Although many fans who had come after hearing the news still gathered outside the base, the club's security work was very thorough, and the players were able to return to the rest area smoothly from the underground parking garage.
"Alright, everyone's exhausted these past few days. There's no training scheduled for today. Go back to your rooms and get some sleep to adjust to the time difference." Mingkai clapped his hands, looked at the players slumped over, and gave the order with a smile. "The club will have an internal celebration banquet tomorrow night. You can do as you please tonight."
Su Mo pulled her suitcase back to her single dormitory room. The room was spotless, cleaned by the cleaning lady, and a fresh bouquet of lilies had even been placed on the table.
He took a quick shower and changed into a comfortable gray loungewear set. Then, he went to the table, skillfully washed the black thermos that had accompanied him throughout the entire S13, boiled another kettle of water, and threw in a few premium Ningxia goji berries.
Just then, my phone, which was on the bedside table, vibrated.
It was a message that popped up in a WeChat group of six people called "We Are a Loving Family".
Yu Shuang: "@Su Mo, are you settled in at the base? We've finished buying groceries at the supermarket and are heading to your apartment."
Rita: "We're having a family-style Chongqing hot pot tonight! I bought your favorite marbled beef and handmade shrimp paste, so praise me!"
Luo Xin: "I second that! I'm starving! Brother Mo, come over here right now, the head chef position is definitely yours!"
Looking at the words flashing on the screen, a gentle smile appeared in Su Mo's eyes. He rarely went back to his private penthouse apartment on the banks of the Huangpu River because he lived at the base. The girls all knew the password, and it had become their secret base in Shanghai.
"I'll be there soon. Eat less spicy food, you guys have work tomorrow." Su Mo replied briefly with a voice message, picked up his car keys, and discreetly drove away in his inconspicuous black SUV through the back gate of the base.
Half an hour later, the apartment door lock beeped softly.
Su Mo pushed open the door, and a rich aroma of hot pot wafted out. In the spacious open kitchen, five goddesses who usually radiate glamour in front of the camera were now dressed in various styles of casual wear, busily working around the counter. (End of Chapter)