Little Fish and Mint - Chapter 23

“Xu Yitong,” Yu Ge called her softly.

“Yes?” she responded instantly.

He fell silent again. Puzzled, she glanced at him. He was staring at her, lost in thought. Something seemed… different.

His gaze wasn’t its usual calm indifference; it held an intensity that made her uneasy.

Shifting the heavy bag to her other hand, she wondered what he wanted to say.

“How much?”

His question, after calling her name, confused her.

Feigning innocence, she teased, “The cookies, or me?”

“The cookies,” he said, not amused.

“Oh,” she huffed silently. “Free.”

He always asked this question, like with the broken umbrella.

If I ever catch Yu Ge, I’m checking his bank account. I need to know how rich he really is, she thought stubbornly.

“Just take them. It’s nothing expensive,” she said, offering him the heavy bag.

He didn’t reach for it.

“So, if I don’t want your money, you don’t want my cookies?” she asked, trying to understand his reluctance.

He almost said yes.

He wasn’t usually so hesitant. Rejecting people was easy for him. He was always direct.

But something else was bothering him. He couldn’t give her a straight answer.

He frowned, repeating his question. “How much?”

She looked at him, a familiar wave of frustration washing over her.

He’s so difficult! she thought, both annoyed and amused.

If he didn’t want them, he would have left. Why wait so long, only to ask how much? He clearly wants them!

Tsk, such a tsundere.

Deciding to give him some face, she said earnestly, “I bought them separately, so I don’t know the exact price. I’ll check the receipts when I get home and let you know. You can transfer me the money then.”

…

-Xu Yitong: [I’m home.]

Yu Ge’s phone buzzed as he waited at a red light.

He didn’t reply.

The cars behind him started honking. He realized he’d been spacing out, and stepped on the gas, glancing at his rearview mirror.

Besides the taxi he’d just held up, he saw the bag of cookies on the backseat.

—He’d taken her gift.

He wondered, with detached curiosity, why he couldn’t say no to her.

Both the question and the potential answers disturbed him.

As he drove, the navigation app rerouted him. He’d missed a turn. He pulled over.

He needed time to clear his head.

He turned off the engine, silence descending. Staring at the windshield, he thought, I shouldn’t be breaking my own rules.

When had it started?

Agreeing to eat the watermelon, to drive her home.

These small concessions were becoming a habit.

Or perhaps it had started even earlier.

That rainy night, her insistent chatter, the umbrella she’d forced on him…

He’d accepted it.

✧✧✧

Back home, Xu Yitong stretched her aching back, collapsing onto the sofa.

She wasn’t bothered by Yu Ge’s lack of reply.

Sighing, she ordered takeout, then warmed some milk.

After showering and drying her hair, the food arrived.

The takeout bag had little fish printed on it, reminding her of him as she unpacked her late-night snack.

He’s so guarded, she thought.

So formal about accepting a few boxes of cookies. Anyone would think I was proposing.

She felt a strange fondness for him.

Is it because of his family? she wondered. He doesn’t like taking things for free.

Such a proud little fish.

Eating a piece of sushi, she messaged CC: [For the sake of our business, I’ve secured a major influencer with millions of followers for our grand opening!]

-CC: [These influencers might not be as popular as your cousin. Don’t get your hopes up.]

-Zhenzhen (Hates Mosquitoes): [He’s nothing.]

She sent a screenshot of Yu Ge’s Weibo profile. [How about this?]

-CC: [.]

-CC: [Seriously? He agreed? Did you tell your cousin?]

Xu Yitong, her loyalty firmly shifted, replied: [Chen Yuzheng? I don’t care if he comes or not.]

-CC: […]

-CC: [You’re ruthless. I can’t imagine how evil you’ll be if you actually become his girlfriend.]

-Zhenzhen (Hates Mosquitoes): [Don’t worry, you’ll always be my bestie, even if I become his girlfriend. Chu~] *[啾咪 (chu~): A cute, internet slang way of saying “kiss.”]

-CC: [Sisterhood is forever.]

Xu Yitong chuckled, quickly finishing her food.

After cleaning up, she brushed her teeth, then messaged Yu Ge. [Home safe? I calculated the cost!]

A few minutes later: [How much?]

She deliberately made him wait.

After finishing her nightly routine, she finally replied: [510 yuan, boss.]

It was for over a dozen boxes of cookies, some imported. The price was reasonable.

He transferred her 510 yuan without question.

She clicked “refund.” [Did you forget something?]

-Little Fish: [?]

-Zhenzhen (Hates Mosquitoes): [My hand massage fee! 10 yuan! Trying to skip out on the bill?]

Silence. Five minutes of silence.

She sent a “hurry up” emoji.

He resent the transfer—

[¥530 – WeChat Transfer]

He’s not falling for it!

[Why the extra 10 yuan?] she asked, knowing the answer.

-Little Fish: [Tip.]

She smiled, staring at the message.

✧✧✧

In late August, a heatwave warning was issued for the entire city.

Xu Yitong and her friends escaped to Suzhou and Hangzhou for a while.

Back in Shanghai, she resumed overseeing the renovations, spending her afternoons running errands with the designer under the scorching sun.

“Tongtong, have you gotten darker?” Moli asked during a gathering.

“Have I?!” Xu Yitong was horrified, immediately booking a facial appointment.

Lying at the beauty salon, she realized she hadn’t seen Yu Ge in a while. She’d been diligently sending him daily messages, usually around 10 PM.

Day 1: Having supper. [I’m eating barbecue. What are you doing?]

Ten minutes later: [Training.]

Day 2: At a friend’s new shop. [Playing a murder mystery game. You?]

Ten minutes later: [Training.]

Day 3: Watering plants. [Doing chores for my dad. You?]

Ten minutes later: [Training.]

…

She’d even set an alarm to remind her to message him.

While his replies were always the same two words, she wasn’t discouraged. It was better than no reply at all.

And she knew they were busy with matches.

She didn’t want to bother him, so she never sent follow-up messages.

Not that she wasn’t curious, but it was easy to find information on him. His name was all over social media.

OG was a high-profile team; their every move was documented online, even mundane things like picking up takeout.

And Yu Ge was the center of attention, always featured in post-game interviews and highlight reels. Content was abundant.

Esports marketing accounts, always chasing clout, used his image for clickbait.

Xu Yitong was one of those clicks.

The comments were usually unbearable, filled with thirsty fans, both male and female.

Even my rivals are crossing genders now… she’d fume, reading the comments.

She felt a surge of possessiveness, further strengthening her resolve to maintain a constant presence in his life.

She’d kept up her daily messages until two nights ago, when she’d gotten drunk with CC and forgotten.

Waking up at CC’s place, the first thing she’d done was check her phone for messages from him.

Nothing.

He only seemed to reply if she initiated contact.

And last night, after her usual 10 PM message, he hadn’t replied at all.

Lying at the salon, her face covered in a seaweed mask, she vented her frustrations to Moli.

“You also forgot one day. Maybe he just forgot too,” Moli suggested gently.

“He ignored me on purpose,” Xu Yitong insisted.

Moli, relieved, thought, You finally understand.

“But you have a point…” Xu Yitong mused.

“He’s probably being tsundere again, punishing me for not messaging him.”

Moli stared at her, incredulous. The level of self-deception…

“That’s… not what I meant…” she stammered, then said, “But I’m glad you’re so optimistic.”

✧✧✧

After weeks of competition, the top four teams for the Summer Playoffs were finalized. On Saturday, in a repeat of the Spring Split, TG defeated WR 3:1, securing their place in the finals.

On Sunday, OG easily defeated JES, as expected, solidifying their dominance in the West.

The two favorites, OG and TG, who’d been battling for supremacy all year, would finally face each other in the finals.

Even before the match, their fans were already at war online. Social media was buzzing with anticipation.

At 9:50 PM, OG finished their scrim against WR.

“Did you eat explosives?” Awen asked Yu Ge, discussing his aggressive item build.

“When will you stop worrying your jungle daddy? They had a LeBlanc; why build so much damage?”

“Why not?” Yu Ge countered.

“You need to stay alive to deal damage! When will you ADCs learn this?” Awen sighed.

“Especially in late game team fights. You get one-shot, and it’s game over. Just build one defensive item! Survive LeBlanc’s burst, wait for her cooldowns, and then you can freely DPS. Why so extreme?”

Yu Ge, having listened impatiently to his lecture, finally said, “Worry about your own gameplay. Secure your crabs before you tell me how to play.”

Awen was known as “Crab Leak Bro” after infamously missing two scuttle crabs in a match, a moment that had been endlessly mocked online.

“Screw you” Awen said, his ego bruised.

“ADCs are supposed to carry!” Little C chimed in. “We were behind early game. Where’s the room for error? If Fish doesn’t build damage, you guys can’t carry!”

“Are you questioning my game knowledge now?” Awen asked.

“Yes, because you clearly have none.”

As they argued, Roy watched the drama unfold, while Yu Ge, sitting quietly, picked up his phone.

It was almost 10 PM.

He realized he’d instinctively opened WeChat.

He frowned, putting his phone down.

As the clock ticked past 10 PM, his phone buzzed with a new message.

He ignored it.

Five minutes passed.

Their second scrim hadn’t started yet. Awen and Little C’s bickering was giving him a headache. He picked up his phone.

-Xu Yitong: [Why didn’t you reply yesterday?]

-Xu Yitong: [I was out drinking with my friend and forgot to message you. Don’t think you’re off the hook.]

-Xu Yitong: [Don’t leave me! [Erkang hand.jpg]] [The “Erkang hand” is a popular meme in China, referring to a dramatic gesture of reaching out, often used to express desperation or pleading.]

A few seconds later, she sent a voice message.

He converted it to text.

He paused, then clicked play.

Xu Yitong’s voice filled the OG training room, a whiny complaint in the style of a cartoon character: “Stop giving me the silent treatment! I’m made of sponge, not play-doh!” [This refers to a popular Chinese cartoon.]

Awen, Little C, Roy, and Will all turned to look at him.

He met their gazes calmly.

“Solo queue?” Awen challenged.

“Why?” Yu Ge’s expression was indifferent.

“You were questioning my game knowledge, weren’t you?”

“Oh” Yu Ge put down his phone. “Which champion?”

“Let’s decide on the punishment first.”

As Yu Ge created a custom game lobby, Awen said, “I’m thinking something… severe.”

“Whatever,” Yu Ge said calmly.

“Loser deletes Xu Yitong on WeChat.”

Yu Ge: “…”

He froze, looking at Awen.

Awen raised an eyebrow, confident. “Deal?”

Yu Ge closed the lobby. “Are you crazy?” he said coldly.