At that moment, everyone else in the private room erupted in shocking exclamations.
Killer had no time to look over, constantly saying: “Chen Yuzheng, what the hell are you doing, how did you suddenly die??”
Yu Nuo’s heart skipped a beat.
How was it him.
Why was it him again?
Why was it always him…
She was completely stunned.
Chen Yu glanced calmly at her hand still on the button.
Yu Nuo pulled her hand back as if shocked by electricity.
Chen Yu: “……”
Yu Nuo’s face felt hot enough to fry an egg. She was so embarrassed she didn’t know what to do, stuttering quietly: “I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to- I didn’t know where the computer’s power button was.”
It just kept getting more awkward.
She wished there was a crack in the ground she could crawl into.
After struggling for a while, TG’s team ended in a wipe GG (defeat). When it was over, Killer took off his headphones and threw them on the table, “Son of a-“
Yu Nuo was startled by the shout and turned to look.
Killer’s prepared rant stumbled, “You… what’s going on? Why did the computer go black?”
Chen Yu said while restarting the computer, “Just disconnected.”
Gu Yi also noticed the commotion and turned to ask, “Huh? How can the internet cafe disconnect?”
Yu Nuo admitted sheepishly, “It was me… I accidentally turned off his computer…”
“Turned off…?” Gu Yi looked bewildered, “Why did you turn off his computer?”
Yu Nuo: “…………..”
She really wanted to leave.
The computer’s mechanical glow fell on Chen Yu’s face as he rapidly typed on the keyboard, entering his account and password.
The other TG team members who had finished their game secretly watched the drama unfold.
Yu Nuo’s face was red as she bit her lip, awkwardly explaining what had just happened.
The room fell silent. Everyone held back for a moment until someone snorted, then they couldn’t contain themselves anymore and burst out laughing.
Killer laughed along for a while before suddenly realizing the dazed girl looked familiar, “Where have I seen you before?”
Yu Nuo’s scalp tightened.
The support player Ultraman teased him, “Why do you get excited every time you see a pretty girl?”
Killer reached out to hit him: “I really think she looks familiar.”
“Yeah yeah, just ‘familiar’ huh?”
Once the two started horsing around, they forgot about Yu Nuo. She didn’t know whether to sit or stand. Suddenly, a voice spoke up, “To the right of your computer.”
Yu Nuo froze, unsure if he was talking to her.
Chen Yu glanced at her briefly before looking away again.
Yu Nuo was stunned, belatedly realizing what he meant, and quietly said thanks.
…
…
Yu Nuo had calmed down a bit when she heard Ultraman call out: “Chen Yu, log in.”
Someone said: “He just disconnected, he can’t play now.”
Yu Nuo guiltily put on her headphones, trying to minimize her presence.
She thought for a moment, then opened Baidu and searched: “What’s the penalty for disconnecting in League of Legends?”
The webpage loaded, and Yu Nuo minimized the window to the corner before anxiously checking the answer: “Twenty minute wait for the next game.”
Yu Nuo sat nervously. After a few minutes, she quietly glanced at the activity beside her.
The game interface was still up on his computer. He was leaning back in his chair, headphones around his neck, eyes half-closed, arms crossed, either spacing out or thinking about something, anyway with nothing to do. Looking completely bored.
Yu Nuo’s guilt instantly doubled.
While she was still sneaking peeks, he looked over at her sideways.
Yu Nuo’s breath caught.
He asked, “What are you doing?”
She made a startled sound.
Chen Yu tilted his head slightly, saying lazily: “You’ve been staring at me for a while.”
Yu Nuo froze completely. Without thinking, her expression must have looked super guilty. She helplessly pointed at his computer, “Um, did I prevent you from playing your game?”
“Yeah,” he said casually.
“……”
It was an extremely awkward opening, so Yu Nuo could only continue making forced conversation, “Don’t you have matches? How do you have time to come to an internet cafe?”
Chen Yu paused, seemingly thinking of something, and asked slowly, “You know who I am?”
“Huh?”
Yu Nuo’s expression faltered slightly as she caught his meaning, thinking he must be referring to when she had mistaken him earlier.
She gave a dry laugh: “You’re Conquer, I know you.”
Yu Nuo looked very innocent, which made her quite deceptive. When she got serious, she appeared especially sincere, “You’re really amazing, my friends all really like you.”
Chen Yu carelessly tugged at the corner of his mouth, neither responding nor showing any other reaction.
He seemed a bit cold…
Yu Nuo wondered if what she said had sounded too deliberate. Thinking back to that day’s scene, she felt somewhat guilty. She became awkward and wisely stopped trying to make conversation.
Half an hour later, Fu Yidong came back with several cups of HeyTea1. With her outgoing personality, after chatting for a while, she quickly got rowdy with the group.
Since Chen Yu’s account couldn’t queue for a while anyway, Fu Yidong opened LOL and joined the pro players’ team to climb rank.
With nothing to do, Yu Nuo opened her notes and started writing recipes in Word. After some time passed, someone suddenly patted her shoulder.
It was Fu Yidong.
Yu Nuo took off her headphones.
Fu Yidong leaned on her chair: “Yu Nuo, how can you be even more boring, working at an internet cafe?”
“No, I’m working on nutrition meals for my brother.”
Fu Yidong made an “oh” sound.
Yu Nuo’s mind was still a bit blank as she watched several people leaving the room, asking confusedly, “Are we leaving?”
“Yeah, going for late night food.”
Yu Nuo packed up her things and logged off the computer, “With the TG group?”
Fu Yidong asked as if it was obvious, “Who else?”
Yu Nuo checked the time, feeling hesitant. After thinking for a bit, she still said: “Dongdong, why don’t you go by yourself? I have a part-time job tomorrow morning, and the school curfew is about to start, I need to head back.”
Fu Yidong clicked her tongue, “What part-time job, doesn’t your brother give you living expenses?”
Yu Nuo shook her head, “He does, but I’m about to graduate soon, so I want to save some money myself.”
She grew up in a single-parent family, and she and her brother were cared for by their father Yu Jiang. After the divorce, their mother went abroad, and Yu Jiang opened a factory locally. Later the factory developed well, but he became increasingly busy with no time to care for them. Yu Ge was only two years older than Yu Nuo, and because there was no one at home, Yu Ge took care of her.
When Yu Nuo was in middle school, Yu Jiang brought home a stepmother who had a child within two years, making the family atmosphere increasingly strange.
Yu Ge had a complete falling out with Yu Jiang after his college entrance exam and moved out with Yu Nuo who had just started high school. Fortunately, he was later recruited to play professionally, earned quite a bit after becoming famous, and had been supporting Yu Nuo’s education all these years.
But Yu Nuo didn’t want to be anyone’s burden, and after graduation, she didn’t plan to continue being supported by others.
Fu Yidong knew about her family situation and nodded without asking anything else, wrinking her nose, “Alright, if you don’t want to go, then I won’t go either. I’ll walk you back to school, it’s pretty late.”
“No need.” Yu Nuo laughed, “Why would I need you to walk me?”
Fu Yidong protested, “How could I let you go back alone?”
Yu Nuo pushed her forward, “Don’t be so polite with me, you go ahead, it’s rare to get to have a meal with your idol.”
The early summer night still had a chill, and it had started raining outside at some point. Yu Nuo shivered as the wind blew.
No one had brought umbrellas, so they could only wait under the eaves for the rain to lighten up.
Gu Yi was browsing Meituan2, looking for late-night food places nearby, while the others stood by the road smoking and waiting for cars.
Fu Yidong asked: “Aren’t you graduating soon? Have you thought about what you want to do after?”
Yu Nuo was silent, shaking her head, “Haven’t really thought about it yet.”
“Did you finish your registered dietitian exam?”
“Finished it.”
Fu Yidong said: “Then you should just go work at your brother’s base, use some connections, it’d be convenient.”
Yu Nuo smiled wryly, “…That wouldn’t be good, right? I’m worried it would affect him.”
Fu Yidong understood, “You have a point. Top teams like OG have psychological counselors, fitness trainers, and nutritionists like you at the same level as those supporting national athletes. You going there would just be causing trouble.”
“Who’s causing trouble?” Yu Nuo glared at her, “I’m a professional, okay?”
“Alright alright, send me your resume another day, I’ll keep an eye out and introduce you if there’s something suitable.”
Yu Nuo’s eyes curved in a smile, “Okay.”
Van went to the nearby convenience store and bought three large umbrellas, handing one to Gu Yi, “Here, for you girls.”
Several empty taxis drove up. Killer stood by the road hailing them, gesturing for the girls to come over.
Fu Yidong suddenly realized: “Ah, we only have one?”
Gu Yi opened it, “Should be fine, this umbrella’s pretty big, the three of us can squeeze together, look how skinny you two are.”
Van said: “I’ll share one with Conquer.”
“No,” Fu Yidong explained, “Nuo Nuo needs to get back to school now, she can’t come with us.”
Yu Nuo waved her hand, “It’s fine, you guys take it, I’ll buy another one at the convenience store later.”
Fu Yidong hesitated: “Are you sure?”
“Really sure.”
Fu Yidong looked around, seeing the convenience store wasn’t far, and nodded, “Okay then, message me when you get to school.”
Yu Nuo made some agreeing sounds and gave an OK gesture.
…
…
Yu Nuo stood in place watching Fu Yidong get in the car when she suddenly remembered something and felt her pocket.
She looked up and froze.
Great, she hadn’t brought her bag today, and her student card was with Fu Yidong.
“Dongdong, wait!”
Yu Nuo called out twice, but Fu Yidong had already gotten in the car.
The car parked by the road honked twice, its headlights’ yellow beams piercing through the rain mist, flashing. She panicked, glanced at the convenience store’s location, and not bothering to buy an umbrella, ran straight into the heavy rain.
After running a few steps, her shirt was instantly soaked through.
Fortunately the car hadn’t left yet.
Fu Yidong heard the commotion and looked out the window, eyes widening as she immediately pushed open the car door, “Nuo Nuo, what’s wrong?”
Yu Nuo held one hand up to her forehead to block the rain, slightly bent over and panting as she told her: “My student card is in your bag, can you check?”
“Ah, I completely forgot, hold on.” Fu Yidong rummaged through her bag while anxiously saying, “It’s raining so hard, get in first, don’t catch a cold.”
Yu Nuo shook her head, “It’s fine, I’m already wet anyway.”
“Come in first, it’s okay.”
Yu Nuo was afraid of getting someone else’s car dirty and waited outside without moving.
Fu Yidong’s bag was a mess, “Driver, can you turn on the back light? I need to find something.”
The driver glanced at them in the rearview mirror and reached up to turn on the light.
Yu Nuo waited beside the car, rain flowing from her head down to the corners of her eyes, making them sting a bit. She blinked her lashes, and suddenly felt the rain above her lighten.
She looked to the side to see Chen Yu and another guy holding an umbrella, stopping right next to her.
Water droplets rolled off the edge of the umbrella, splashing onto the ground.
Yu Nuo was briefly stunned, realizing she was blocking the car door, and consciously moved to the side to let them through.
Van smiled and went around to get in on the other side.
Chen Yu took the cigarette from between his index and middle fingers, his gaze lowered as it lightly skimmed over her.
He wore a black baseball cap with his bangs tucked up, revealing his handsome, bold features.
Yu Nuo was much shorter than him, looking up to meet his eyes for a few seconds before instinctively stepping back half a step.
Just then, Chen Yu suddenly raised his eyebrows. His gaze was very direct, completely unrestrained.
She looked down at herself and was shocked, immediately raising her arms to cover her chest.
Fu Yidong had just found the card, and when she handed it out, she also noticed Yu Nuo’s predicament.
The thin white spring/summer shirt was very light, becoming semi-transparent when soaked by rain. Even with her arms crossed in front, it was still very obvious that her chest was wet through. Her curves were completely visible.
The outdoor temperature was very low, and Yu Nuo’s eyelashes trembled slightly as she shivered. She lowered her eyes, uncomfortably shrinking back. Her legs pressed together unnaturally.
Van laughed from inside the car: “Conquer, why don’t you give your umbrella to the girl?”
Yu Nuo quickly waved her hands, knowing how disheveled she looked, and smiled helplessly: “No need, I’m already wet anyway, I’ll just go buy one myself.”
Fu Yidong leaned forward, preparing to get out: “Hey don’t go, I’ll go borrow a jacket from another car.”
The driver impatiently urged, “Hurry up, I have another fare, don’t make me late.”
Yu Nuo apologized twice and took her card from Fu Yidong, “Don’t borrow anything, I’ll just get their clothes wet too. I’m going.”
Van had sharp eyes and called out again to the person standing there motionless: “Why aren’t you giving your jacket to the young lady, where are your manners?”
The rain formed a curtain of beads.
Chen Yu held the umbrella with one hand and glanced at Van. Just as Yu Nuo was about to refuse, he casually tossed over the jacket he was holding.
Yu Nuo caught it instinctively.
After a moment’s daze, she said softly: “Thank you.”
Chen Yu put the cigarette back in his mouth and made a perfunctory sound of acknowledgment.
Yu Nuo said goodbye to the people in the car, then gratefully smiled at Chen Yu.
The driver started urging again.
Chen Yu was the last to get in the car, pulling open the door and sitting in the front passenger seat.
He leaned back in his seat, turning his head to look out the window.
The girl stood two steps away under the bus stop awning, completely soaked, water still dripping from her skirt hem. She lowered her head, carefully rolling up the jacket.
A taxi drove by with its high beams on.
She shivered, looked around, and carefully hugging the rolled-up jacket to her chest, bent down and ran back into the heavy rain.
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