Chapter 709
Can It Withstand?
"cheers!"
The group clinked glasses. Su Mo put down her thermos, picked up the serving chopsticks, and very naturally placed a few slices of freshly cooked premium marbled beef into the bowls of Yu Shuang and Xi Ran on either side of her. Then she added some shrimp paste, which Rita across from her, to her bowl.
“During the interview today, your question about ‘being able to afford overtime pay’ will probably dominate Weibo’s trending topics again tonight.” Yu Shuang looked at him gently while eating beef. “BLG is on a roll right now, especially after Knight joined. Their mid-jungle synergy is extremely strong. Are you confident?”
"There's never a 100% guarantee in a match." Su Mo put a piece of frozen tofu in his mouth and said calmly, "But they can't break through the top lane. A-Chen is growing very fast now. As long as the jungle is stable, BLG's all-Chinese team is just five slightly better workers."
"I love Brother Mo's old-fashioned, indifferent attitude towards all the heroes in the world!" Rita rested her chin on her hand, her beautiful eyes shimmering as she stared at Su Mo. Under the table, her toes, clad in black stockings, intentionally or unintentionally brushed against Su Mo's trouser leg.
Su Mo glanced sideways at Rita, giving her a warning look, but didn't move his leg away. Rita, seeing this, smiled like a fox who had successfully stolen a bite.
“Oh, right, Brother Mo,” hope Ran suddenly remembered something, took out a delicate black velvet box from her bag, and handed it to Su Mo, “This is a peace amulet I got from the temple a few days ago. It’s carved from Hetian jade. You don’t usually like wearing those fancy jewelry, so you can hang this on your keychain for good luck.”
Seeing Xiran give gifts, Xiaoyu and Luoxin were not to be outdone.
"Brother Mo, these are the new noise-canceling headphones I bought for you. You can wear them when you're reviewing your work or resting on the plane. They're good for your ears."
"Brother Mo, Brother Mo, this is a steam eye mask that I asked a friend to bring back from Japan. You look at the screen all day, this can relieve eye fatigue!"
Looking at the pile of small gifts in front of her, Su Mo's eyes softened even more. These things weren't expensive, but each one revealed the girls' most delicate thoughts.
"Thank you. I really like them." Su Mo carefully put away the gifts, picked up the serving chopsticks, and said, "Alright, stop focusing on giving gifts, the food's getting cold. Eat up, I'll take you home early after you finish, you all have shifts tomorrow."
After a lively hot pot meal, Su Mo drove the girls back to their respective residences.
When he finally parked his car in the underground garage of the Riverview Apartments and went back upstairs alone, it was already 11:30 p.m.
He took a shower, changed into his pajamas, walked to the French windows, and habitually picked up his phone to take a look.
There was an unread WeChat message from Lin Xuan.
Lin Xuan: [Teacher Su, congratulations on your first victory! I secretly watched your match on my tablet on set today, and Gwen's scissors were so cool. (Attached is a photo of her in her RV, wearing a face mask and making a scissor-like gesture for a selfie)]
In the photo, Lin Xuan is without makeup. Although her face is covered by a face mask and her whole face is not visible, the relaxation and joy in her clear eyes are something she rarely shows in public.
Su Mo looked at the photo, a slight smile unconsciously creeping onto his lips. He typed a reply with one hand.
Su Mo: [Thank you. Leaving a face mask on for too long can draw moisture from your skin, so please remove it soon. Get some rest after filming.]
After replying, he placed his phone on the bedside table and turned off the bedside lamp.
Outside the window, the Huangpu River remains a deep and enchanting nightscape. Meanwhile, the storm brewing for the LPL Spring Split is quietly taking shape.
There's less than a month left until the fifth week's super weekend.
…………
As the LPL Spring Split regular season enters its fourth week, the entire esports scene seems to be on fire. Major esports forums, online communities, and Weibo's trending topics are almost entirely dominated by the same topic:
[Week 5 Super Weekend! All-Chinese Super Team BLG vs. Seven-Time Champion EDG!]
This is the most competitive and suspenseful match since the start of the new season. After BLG welcomed Knight, their mid and jungle have shown a significant lead in influence; while top laner Bin has been in red-hot form in recent matches, consistently pulling out signature champions like Aatrox and Jax, dominating the top lane.
Many media outlets even hyped up the match beforehand, using sensational headlines such as "A New King Ascends the Throne or an Old God Continues? Can Bin Tear Apart the Seven-Time Champion's Defense in the Top Lane?"
However, the EDG base, located at the center of the storm, was unusually quiet.
In the training room on the third floor, only the crisp sound of keyboards and mice could be heard.
"Oh no, I panicked this time." Ah Chen looked at the grayed-out screen and scratched his hair in frustration. In the previous scrim, he tried to help Xiao Yue in the mid lane by diving the tower, but was counter-ganked by the enemy jungler and gave away a double kill, causing his early game momentum to be completely disrupted.
Facing a formidable opponent, Chen, as the jungler, is under unimaginable pressure. He knows all too well how terrifying the synergy between BLG's jungler Xun and mid laner Knight is.
"Take a deep breath and don't panic."
A calm, deep voice came from the corner.
Su Mo took off his headphones, picked up the black thermos on the table, and slowly took a sip of warm goji berry water. He turned his head and looked at the somewhat anxious Ah Chen. There was no blame in his deep eyes, only a tranquility like a deep pool.
“BLG’s mid and jungle are indeed strong, but League of Legends is a three-lane game.” Su Mo put down his thermos, his tone as calm as if stating a theorem. “In the weekend’s match, you don’t need to compete with Xun for mid lane tempo. You just need to remember one thing—clear your top side jungle camps, and then, be ready to counter-gank.”
“But Brother Mo…” Ah Chen bit his lip, “If I don’t help the mid and bottom lanes, Knight will be in a lot of trouble when he starts roaming around.”
“He can’t roam.” Su Mo interrupted him calmly, turning his gaze back to the computer screen. “As long as the minion waves meet, Bin will be locked under the tower. If Xun dares to go bot lane, the top side's Rift Herald and jungle are yours. If he dares to come top lane…”
Su Mo lightly tapped the Enter key on the keyboard, producing a crisp sound.
"I'll have them team up with Ueno and Jungler to farm the minion wave together."
These words were spoken without the slightest emotional fluctuation, and the volume wasn't even raised, but they were like a stabilizing force, instantly calming Ah Chen's anxious heart.
Yes, as long as Brother Mo is there, the top lane will always be an insurmountable wall of sighs.
Mingkai stood to the side, watching Su Mo's understated yet powerful reassurance, a relieved smile creeping onto his lips. He patted Chen on the shoulder: "Listen to your brother Mo. These next few days, focus on practicing jungle vision and defense in training matches. On weekends, just clock in and out as usual."
The training match ended at 10 PM.
Su Mo shut down his computer and slung his peripheral bag over his shoulder. He didn't linger at the base and drove straight back to his riverside apartment.
As soon as I opened the door, a faint fragrance of lilies and the sweet aroma of snow pear and white fungus soup wafted towards me.
The living room lights were dimmed, with only the floor lamp emitting a warm yellow glow.
Wearing a beige knitted cardigan over a silk slip dress, Yu was standing in front of the open kitchen island, gently stirring a clay pot with a ladle.
Hearing the door open, she turned around, her gentle eyes instantly blossoming into a soft smile: "Off work? Is it still raining outside?"
"It's drizzling and getting a bit colder." Su Mo changed into slippers and took off his chilly black overcoat, hanging it in the entryway. "Go take a hot shower to warm yourself up. I made some rock sugar pear and white fungus soup. You've been watching the game on the screen all day lately, so drink some to soothe your lungs and reduce internal heat." Yu Shuang handed him a clean, warm towel.
Su Mo took the towel and dried his hands, his deep gaze falling on her slightly thin shoulders. He stepped forward, naturally putting his arm around her waist and pulling her closer to him, gently rubbing his chin against her hair: "Why are you alone? Where are they?"
Feeling the reassuring warmth emanating from him, Yu Shuang obediently leaned against his chest, her voice soft: "hope Ran and Xiao Yu have an early high-speed train tomorrow to go on a business trip to another city for interviews, and Luo Xin and Rita are still recording a program at the station. Tonight, I'll be the only one with you."
As she spoke the last half of the sentence, Yu Shuang tilted her head slightly, and her eyes, as clear as autumn water, rippled with an undisguised tenderness and dependence.
A tender feeling welled up in Su Mo's heart. He didn't speak, but simply lowered his head and gently kissed her forehead before turning and walking into the bathroom.
Twenty minutes later, Su Mo emerged from the bathroom wearing a black silk pajama set. His hair was half-dry, and water droplets slid down his sharp jawline, disappearing into the open neckline of his pajama.
A bowl of perfectly warm white fungus soup was already placed on the coffee table.
Yu Shuang sat on the sofa and patted the spot next to her. After Su Mo sat down, she naturally took a dry towel, stood behind him, and gently dried his hair.
"These past few days, the news online has been overwhelmingly reporting on your duel with Bin," Yu Shuang said softly as she dried her hair, her slender fingers occasionally running through his dark hair and gently massaging his scalp. "Are you under a lot of pressure?"
"The media needs traffic, and the authorities need popularity. This is the alliance's way of creating idols. Don't pay attention to it." Su Mo picked up the porcelain bowl, took a sip of the sweet white fungus soup, and completely relaxed, enjoying the comfortable pressure from her fingertips.
“You’re always like this, never taking anything to heart.” Yu Shuang chuckled, put down the towel, and wrapped her arms around his neck from behind, pressing her cheek against his ear. “But… I love your composure in the face of adversity. No matter how turbulent the outside world is, as long as we’re back here, you’re mine.”
Su Mo put down the porcelain bowl and took her soft hand, which was wrapped around his neck, in his other hand. Her hands had calluses on her fingertips from years of holding a microphone.
He turned his head slightly, his deep eyes appearing particularly captivating in the dim light. With a slight pull, he drew Yu Shuang directly into his arms.
Yu Shuang gasped and slumped onto his lap. The hem of her silk slip dress rolled up slightly, revealing a large expanse of her fair and delicate skin.
"So proactive today?" Su Mo's large hand encircled her slender waist, his tone carrying a rare hint of languor and teasing.
Two blushes instantly spread across Yu Shuang's cheeks, but she didn't flinch. Instead, she stretched out her arms to wrap around his neck, looking at him with a dreamy yet brave gaze: "Because I know you'll definitely win the game this weekend. So... I'm giving you some 'overtime pay' in advance."
As soon as she finished speaking, she leaned forward and gently pressed her soft lips against his.
Outside the window, spring rain pattered softly; inside, spring was in the air. On this night, undisturbed by outsiders, Su Mo responded to this deep affection with his unique composure and assertiveness.
……
Two days later.
On Thursday afternoon, the sky over Shanghai finally cleared up.
Su Mo finished the afternoon's tactical simulation at the base and had just picked up his thermos to drink some water when his phone, which was on the table, vibrated.
It's a WeChat message.
Lin Xuan: [Teacher Su, I've finished filming all my scenes in Hengdian. I just got back to Shanghai today.]
Lin Xuan: [I wonder if the password 0818 still works today? I'd like to have dinner cooked by you, is that okay? [Looking forward to it]]
Looking at these two messages, Su Mo recalled the actress with slightly red eyes, smiling brightly amidst the falling snow on New Year's Eve.
He glanced at the time; it was 5 p.m., just the time to get off work.
Su Mo typed with one hand, replying crisply and efficiently.
Su Mo: [The password hasn't changed. I'm stopping by the supermarket on my way. What would you like to eat?]
Lin Xuan replied almost instantly: 【I like anything you make! Something light is fine; I'm controlling my weight lately to look good on camera.】
After replying to Lin Xuan, Su Mo switched out of the chat interface and opened the small group called "A Loving Family" without any hesitation.
Su Mo: [I'm cooking tonight. Lin Xuan just finished filming and came back to Shanghai, so she's coming over for a casual meal. Anyone who's free, please come back on time and bring an extra bowl and chopsticks.]
His open and honest approach, putting everything out in the open, actually gave the girls the greatest sense of security. In this circle, hiding things often breeds suspicion, and Su Mo's frankness is the secret to maintaining harmony in this special "family."
There were quick replies in the group chat.
Rita: [Yo, the big-name actress is back from wrapping up filming! I have to give her face! I happen to have no work today, I'll rush over and help you out!]
Luo Xin: [Waaaaah, Xiao Yu and I are still away on a business trip, so we can't eat Mo Ge's cooking. Rita, eat two more bowls to make up for it for me!]
Widow Yu: [I just finished recording a program, and I'm going to buy some fresh fruit and desserts to take home.]
Half an hour later, Su Mo pushed a shopping cart out of the supermarket, the trunk of which was full of fresh ingredients.
When he returned to the apartment and opened the door, he found not only Rita's high heels in the entryway, but also a pair of delicate flat shoes.
The women's hushed laughter drifted from the living room.
Su Mo changed into slippers and went inside. She saw Lin Xuan wearing a loose light blue turtleneck sweater, sitting on the carpet with Rita. Lin Xuan was holding a cat toy and playing with a Ragdoll cat that Rita had just brought over to foster a few days ago.
Having shed the heavy makeup and glamorous costumes of the screen, Lin Xuan's hair was casually tied up, and her face, free of makeup, was fair and radiant. She had lost that aloof and unapproachable air, and gained a touch of the liveliness and gentleness of a girl next door.
Hearing footsteps, Lin Xuan turned around, her eyes instantly lighting up.
"You're back." She stood up, her voice filled with a joy she herself didn't realize, like a wife waiting for her husband to come home from get off work.
"Yeah, I just went to buy some groceries. There was a traffic jam on the way, so I'm a little late." Su Mo put the shopping bags on the island counter and picked up his thermos to take a sip of water.
"Brother Mo, you're finally back! I'm starving!" Rita unabashedly leaned forward, pulled a strawberry from her shopping bag, and stuffed it into her mouth without even washing it. "I just chatted with Actress Lin for ages, and she said she's been eating boiled cabbage every day on set, just hoping your meal would keep her going." (End of Chapter)