Little Fish and Mint - Chapter 2
Yiyi: [I heard from Roy you have Yu Ge’s WeChat?]
…
…
Cold rain swept through the city.
In her duplex apartment, surrounded by fogged, panoramic windows, a freshly showered Xu Yitong, barefoot and curled up on the black leather sofa, saw Yiyi’s message.
It had been sent an hour ago, when she was still out clubbing.
The lingering alcohol made it hard to focus. Only the two words “Yu Ge” could hold her attention.
Yu Ge…?
Sigh.
Such a cold name.
She grabbed a blanket, bringing her phone closer to speak clearly despite her hoarse voice.
“Yeah, I have his WeChat.”
Almost instantly, Yiyi replied: [You know Fish? I never heard you mention it.]
Xu Yitong rallied. “We’re not exactly close. I met his sister and added him when I went over for dinner.”
Yiyi: [Haha, I see.]
Yiyi: [Good luck then!]
Dizzy, Xu Yitong sat up, opened her contacts, and scrolled down her nearly one-thousand-person list, finally finding “Little Fish” under X.
She checked his Moments, but it was still blank. She gave up.
“So annoying.”
She tossed her phone aside, hugging her knees in frustration.
So annoying.
Why was he so indifferent to her?
So annoying.
Not only was he indifferent, but he was also so handsome.
Handsome and indifferent!
She was so unlucky!
She punched a nearby teddy bear.
Just then, her Douyin app chimed. Annoyed, she picked up her phone.
Cai Cai had forwarded a video to their group chat: [Tsk, just saw Xu Yitong’s husband.]
Xu Yitong paused, clicking the video—
The title read: “Who’s lucky enough to see OG? Turns out, it’s me!”
Her annoyance vanished.
She rewatched the video several times.
The shaky footage showed a van at dusk. Roy waved from the half-open window. He then leaned back, revealing the man sitting inside.
He wore loose black sportswear, his head resting on his hand against the window, looking as if he were asleep.
She paused the video.
It was strange. Moli constantly sent videos of attractive men, and Xu Yitong always found them uninteresting.
Now, she felt doomed.
Why did she find this blurry side profile, his clean white sneakers, the way his long legs were propped up, so incredibly attractive?
She fell back, clutching her chest, her heart racing.
Memories of Yu Ge flooded back—their last meeting.
He was washing dishes, head bowed.
He’d taken her to the clinic when she injured her foot.
She’d finally added him on WeChat.
It was a sunny afternoon. Yu Ge wore a white T-shirt. She’d wanted to treat him to ice cream, but he’d declined.
✧✧✧
Two days later, Yiyi learned Chen Yuzheng was Xu Yitong’s cousin.
They were on their way to the Summer Tournament draw ceremony.
Yiyi was surprised. “So, you met Fish through Conquer?”
Xu Yitong tried to distance herself. “What does knowing Yu Ge have to do with him?”
They’d hung out three times now, Yiyi receiving a coveted bag and a new bracelet. Their friendship had blossomed. Yiyi said politely, “Their fans didn’t get along. Didn’t you know?”
She added, “But they seem fine offline. It’s all fan drama.”
“Didn’t get along” was an understatement. The feud between OG and TG fans had raged since the beginning of the year, continuing until the recent Intercontinental Tournament.
It began with Chen Yuzheng’s on-stage provocation, which angered Yu Ge’s fans and resulted in attacks on the entire TG team.
Moli suddenly remembered. “Oh, so the big-shot player my brother offended was Yu Ge!”
“He got roasted so badly, it even trended,” she exclaimed.
“Xu Yitong, you’re shameless! How can you like your cousin’s enemy? That’s like betraying your family!”
Xu Yitong, initially guilty, defended herself.
“I didn’t know who Yu Nuo’s brother was when I went to dinner. It wasn’t a serious feud. Chen Yuzheng’s thick-skinned; online hate won’t bother him.”
Yiyi was curious.
“How do you know Fish’s sister?” Yu Nuo seemed quiet and introverted. How did she know a social butterfly like Xu Yitong?
Xu Yitong fell silent.
She couldn’t reveal the truth.
It had been a dark and stormy night when Chen Yuzheng brought a drunk girl to her house…
Yiyi chuckled. “Interesting. Conquer’s sister liking Fish, that’s news.”
Xu Yitong thought, If this is news, what would Yiyi say if she knew Chen Yuzheng was chasing Yu Nuo?
She turned away, taking a nervous sip of water.
Those siblings were ridiculously dramatic.
…
…
For the LPL Summer Split, the sixteen teams were divided into East and West. The draw was based on Spring Split rankings, with TG and OG at the top. Team representatives drew for the remaining positions.
Their car arrived. Moli gasped at the crowds and banners.
Xu Yitong, having attended a match before, was less impressed.
But amongst the “Fish” banners, she spotted a small section for “Conquer.”
She took photos, sending them to her family chat. “Chen Yuzheng is a big shot now! He has fans!”
“He’s popular. TG’s this season’s dark horse. It’s rare for a new team to make it to the finals,” Yiyi explained as they walked inside. “And Conquer is just as handsome as Fish. Everyone loves a pretty face.”
Almost all LPL teams were there. Yiyi led them in, greeting many people. Cai Cai had mocked Xu Yitong for wanting to join the esports girlfriend circle, but now she was meeting quite a few.
Someone, learning Xu Yitong was Conquer’s relative, immediately added her on WeChat.
Once seated, Yiyi nudged Xu Yitong. “Tongtong, see that girl with the long black hair?”
Xu Yitong followed her gaze to a beautiful woman.
While others chatted, she sat quietly, radiating cool elegance.
Xu Yitong admired her for a moment. “What about her?”
Yiyi smiled knowingly.
Xu Yitong whispered, “She chased Yu Ge too?”
Yiyi nodded. “Unsuccessfully.”
Xu Yitong shrugged. “Guess she didn’t like him that much.”
Yiyi was surprised. “I thought you’d say Yu Ge has high standards.”
Xu Yitong blinked, confident. “There’s no man I can’t get. If there is, it’s because I didn’t like him enough, or I didn’t try hard enough.”
“That confident?”
Moli teased, “Haven’t you tried hard enough, Tongtong? Cai Cai saw you buying The Simp’s Diary online.”
“Shut up!” Xu Yitong snapped.
Yiyi laughed. “I don’t know Fish’s type, but he might actually like someone like you.”
This flattered Xu Yitong immensely.
✧✧✧
The draw ceremony was brief. The OG coaches held a team meeting. This year was OG’s best chance for Worlds. The head coach outlined their goals, then turned to find his team goofing off.
The manager kicked them one by one.
Will dodged playfully. “Hui-ge, the Summer Split hasn’t even started. Too early to think about Worlds?”
The manager glared.
He paused by Yu Ge. “How’s your hand?”
“It’s okay,” Yu Ge replied.
The manager hesitated, then sighed. “Let me know if there’s any discomfort.”
“Fish should stop moving around so much. ADC’s reposition constantly. No wonder their hands get tired,” Roy said smugly. He was immediately smacked.
“Ow! That hurt!”
“Two extra hours of practice tonight!” the manager roared.
Little C defended their bot lane. “If Fish doesn’t move, are you going to carry?”
Roy hissed, and a playful fight ensued.
…
…
Their bickering continued to dinner. Little C opened the door to their private room and froze.
A beautiful woman sat by the window, looking up.
She greeted them cheerfully. “Hi!”
Little C blushed crimson, stammering a “Hi.”
Roy shoved him. “Get in! What are you doing there?”
Xu Yitong waved enthusiastically. “Hi everyone! We meet again.”
The noisy group fell silent, surprised.
Yiyi explained, “This is my friend. We bumped into each other. Mind if she joins us?”
Xu Yitong quickly stood. “I won’t impose. My friend’s waiting. I’m just dropping something off.”
Awen, unsurprised, said, “It’s you! We meet again.”
He’d met her when Yu Nuo brought her to their table after the Intercontinental Tournament dinner. They’d added each other on WeChat.
“Hello, hello.”
Xu Yitong peered behind him, hesitating. “Um…”
“Looking for Fish?” Roy asked knowingly. “He’s outside on a call. Go ahead.”
“Great!”
With a grunt, Xu Yitong lifted a large object from the floor.
Everyone stared, stunned.
Will was shocked. Roy was speechless.
What was this?
Little C moved aside, pulling out a chair. Seeing her struggle, he asked, “Do you need help?”
Resilient, she refused. “I’ve got this.”
Awen chuckled. “Last time, roses from the Gobi. Where are these flowers from?”
“Custom-made,” she replied cheerfully.
“Wow,” Awen said, “Careful, they look heavy.”
“Don’t worry.”
Xu Yitong, unused to heavy lifting, didn’t feel the weight. Her excitement to see Yu Ge gave her strength.
She said a quick goodbye, leaving a determined, albeit struggling, figure.
Silence fell. Someone groaned, “Why does Fish get all the good stuff?”
“So unfair.”
…
…
The enormous bouquet was indeed custom-made.
It looked like roses, but held a secret.
After learning Yu Ge’s preferences, Xu Yitong had carefully chosen sixteen types of cookies from Xiaohongshu. Some were rare, requiring help from friends abroad.
She liked someone hard to please.
Yu Ge had ignored the roses; surely he wouldn’t be indifferent to cookies?
✧✧✧
Cars sped through as the light turned yellow. The last car honked impatiently. The street, lined with restaurants, was filled with aromas.
A cheerful voice called out.
“Hi, handsome!”
Yu Ge turned.
A giant bouquet, half his height, swayed before him.
He instinctively steadied it.
A head popped out, a pretty face sweaty from exertion.
She beamed. “Thank you!”
He stared into her bright, sincere eyes.
The person on the other end of his call asked, “Another fan?”
“No.”
Yu Ge let go of the bouquet and stepped back, his expression neutral, shaking his head slightly.
Xu Yitong, thinking he wanted her to wait until his call ended, nodded obediently.
Setting the bouquet down, her arms ached. She wiped her brow, then saw Yu Ge turn and walk away.
Frozen, she faintly heard him say—
“Looks like a flower vendor.”