Losing five games in a row on the League of Legends Japanese server was something Yu Qingxue had almost never experienced.
In J-Country, there were practically no players in League of Legends who could make Yu Qingxue get serious. Having played on all major servers, aside from the Chinese server’s Canyon Summit which had made her lose four in a row, she had almost never lost. She demonstrated with her skill what it meant to climb ranks as easily as drinking water.
But just now, duoing with Gao Sijin on the Japanese server, she had actually lost five in a row. These five games made Yu Qingxue feel like she was fighting one versus nine, even vaguely sensing the malice of the entire world.
“You’ve been throwing on purpose all along, haven’t you?”
“No way, I’m just this good. If I lose, I lose. Nothing to be ashamed of.”
Gao Sijin said in a sour tone.
“On the Chinese server, you’re Platinum I. Your mechanics and game sense crush Gold players on the Japanese server. How dare you tell me you can’t win? I’m the one who played with you back then using Young Lady Tsukiyuki’s account—I know your skill level!”
“I’m getting old; my reaction time and game sense can’t keep up.”
“Bullshit!”
In truth, Gao Sijin had indeed been throwing Yu Qingxue’s games. It was the last act of resistance he could manage as a captive.
He had thought Yu Qingxue was drawn to his soul; he had believed that in the abyss of loneliness, she extended her hand to pull him out of the mire. But afterward, everything proved wrong—her purpose in getting close to him was to strip him of his freedom completely.
Duoing with such a girl, how could Gao Sijin just give her what she wanted?
Throw for her!
Make her eat dirt!
“If you throw this game too, just wait—I’ll deal with you properly.”
“You mad, you mad.”
“Master, don’t keep crossing my bottom line like this. I’m afraid if I lose my temper, I might do something unpleasant to you.”
“You mad, you mad.”
Thirty minutes later, the full-build Riven top laner ultimately failed to defend the Nexus, and with bitter resentment, she watched the word “Defeat” appear on the screen.
Humans really are limited. Gao Sijin was too good at throwing. In fact, the ones who just run straight into the enemy to feed are not the scariest; the truly terrifying thrower is the kind who seems to be playing properly, but at a critical moment, steers the team into a disastrous teamfight that misleads the teammates into all dying as well.
Clearly, Gao Sijin was exactly that kind of tempo master: he sold out the support, then the mid laner, then the jungler, and then himself.
Yu Qingxue seldom got to fight a straight teamfight; most of the time, by the time she reached the battlefield, all her teammates had been wiped out.
“Fuck, I’m done!”
“You mad, you mad.”
“You say ‘you mad, you mad’ one more time, I’ll beat the crap out of you!”
Yu Qingxue grabbed the keyboard and smashed it toward Gao Sijin’s head.
“So you’re angry already?”
“How can I not be angry when there’s a thrower?”
“I admit I threw,” Gao Sijin stood up, “but I only threw a few inconsequential MOBA games. What you threw is my life, Miss Yu Qingxue. Let’s talk about it—who’s the real Big Actor here?”
Hearing Gao Sijin say that, Yu Qingxue found herself speechless.
Because he was right—Yu Qingxue was the Big Actor, and she had enough self-awareness to know that.
Yu Qingxue felt a little selfish herself. She had clearly hurt him deeply, yet deep down she didn’t really want Gao Sijin to hate her. She even fantasized about rebuilding a normal relationship with him through gaming.
But that kind of relationship could never be regained. Gao Sijin had been completely taken over by Tsukiyuki Rio in every corner of his being, and Yu Qingxue was merely a maid of the Tsukiyuki family. Although the Yu family and the Tsukiyuki family had a long-standing marital alliance, the Yu family was ultimately a subordinate house, and Yu Qingxue’s current position could be replaced at any time.
“If I apologize, can you forgive me?”
Yu Qingxue bit her lower lip lightly and grabbed Gao Sijin’s shoulders with both hands.
Gao Sijin violently smashed the water-filled cup on the table against the floor, pointed at the cup now shattered into glass shards, and said:
“Go on, apologize to it.”
“I’m sorry…”
“Did it turn back?”
“No.”
“So do you understand what I mean?”
“I understand.”
She was the one who toyed with feelings, yet she was also the one who didn’t want to be hated.
But some damage is irreversible.
Gao Sijin lay on the bed with a bitter smile.
“I once thought you really liked me. I was too naive, too lacking in self-awareness…”
“I do like you, really.”
“Save it. Right now, I don’t believe a single thing you say, not even the punctuation.”
“Yeah, I suppose so. After all, you’ve already been hurt; you can’t love anymore.”
Yu Qingxue brushed back her long hair and walked up to Gao Sijin, who was lying on the bed.
Their gazes met. Wearing the maid uniform, Yu Qingxue still shared a similar aura to when she wore a trench coat in Bincheng.
Her sharp eyes still gleamed with a cutting edge, reminiscent of a reigning empress. Her S-shaped figure had transformed her from a young girl into an irresistible femme fatale. The high ponytail perfectly accentuated her dashing and confident demeanor.
Beneath her skirt, she still wore those patterned black stockings from Balenciaga, her long, beautiful legs setting men’s imaginations running wild.
She kicked off her high heels and nudged Gao Sijin’s elbow with her black-stockinged foot.
“Want to elope with me? If you elope with me, I might give you your freedom.”
“I refuse, because I know it’s all just a joke you’ve made up.”
“Yeah, it really is a Japanese-style joke.”
“I knew it.”
Yu Qingxue untied her hair tie, letting her high ponytail fall into loose waves over her shoulders, instantly giving off a teasing mix of innocence and allure.
“But there’s one thing I promise you. Whether you believe it or not, I will keep this promise until the end of my life.”
“So what is it?”
“I will never marry another man. That’s it.”
“What meaning does your marriage or non-marriage have for me?”
“Can’t I say something even if it’s meaningless? There are so many meaningless things in the world; why do you have to be so harsh with me?”
“Hurry up and get married. Just seeing you annoys me.”
“Then I definitely won’t get married, just to piss you off.”
“Do whatever you want.”
Yu Qingxue didn’t tell Gao Sijin that, not long ago, Tsukiyuki Rio had instructed Yu Qingxue to marry a man from a branch of the Tsukiyuki family.
For the Yu family, once that marriage was finalized, it would be like a carp leaping over the Dragon Gate—a major advancement.
The so-called conglomerates use marriage alliances to tightly control vast amounts of capital in the hands of a few families.
But Yu Qingxue would never go along with it.
“How about playing some other games?”
“Not interested.”
“Then take a nap.”
Yu Qingxue gently covered Gao Sijin with the blanket.
At first, it had indeed been a mission, but later, when spending time with Gao Sijin, Yu Qingxue actually quite liked being with him.
Back then, when Gao Sijin saw her off at the airport, her heart had fluttered. She thought maybe that was the sorrow of lovers parting.
“I will watch over you as your faithful maid forever, my dear Master.”
Gao Sijin ignored her, just pulled the blanket over himself and turned his head to the other side.
Yu Qingxue knew Gao Sijin would never easily forgive her.
But time would smooth away all sharp edges.
Perhaps when they were no longer young, they might rebuild a new bond.
And until then, she could only keep enduring.
After Gao Sijin had fallen asleep, Yu Qingxue gently lifted his hand and kissed the back of it.
