Little Fish and Mint - Chapter 25
On the left side of the stage, behind a row of computers, sat the OG team: Will, Awen, Roy, Yu Ge, and Little C. While Yu Ge stared at the main screen, the others stared at him, their expressions a mix of amusement and disbelief.
Yu Ge took a sip of water.
Seeing the cameras on them, their coach coughed loudly, reminding them to maintain their composure.
Awen, trying to keep a straight face, mumbled, “Am I blind? I thought I just saw…”
“Don’t say it,” Roy interrupted, smiling.
“This is being recorded.”
“That wicked woman!” Little C muttered.
Yu Ge continued drinking his water, silent.
Will sighed dramatically. “That cameraman is ruthless. After all these years, Fishy is still living in that man’s shadow… So sad.”
The audience, confused, saw the OG players suddenly hiding their faces.
Their coach walked over and smacked Will’s chair with his notebook, a silent warning.
Yu Ge remained unfazed, still drinking his water.
It wasn’t unusual for GodV to be approached by fans. And the girl who’d asked for his WeChat only looked momentarily flustered when she realized she was on camera.
The commotion in the audience died down quickly, the incident forgotten.
He shouldn’t care either.
Even if that girl was Xu Yitong.
Why did she ask for my WeChat? he wondered as he drank his water. And why did I agree?
He wasn’t one for reminiscing; few things made a lasting impression on him. His initial memory of Xu Yitong had been her WeChat ID, which he’d stared at for a full minute, surprised—
[Failed IVF, Sterilized (with two kids)]
Even her face had been a blur to him.
But now, he remembered their second encounter.
…
Six months ago.
After a week of rain, the skies finally cleared on the second day of the Spring Split semifinals.
WR vs. TG.
The OG team, fresh off their own match, were scheduled to film a promotional video for the finals. After recording pre-game interviews, Yu Ge was asked to join the audience.
The official reason: GodV was the commentator for this match.
The real reason: to boost viewership.
Before the match began, as the camera focused on the commentators’ desk, the stadium erupted in cheers.
GodV was incredibly popular.
The winners of the match on stage would be his next opponents, and the man on the commentary desk was his former rival.
Despite the noise, Yu Ge didn’t wear his headphones, his gaze fixed on the screen.
A young woman sat next to him.
She’d been on the phone since he sat down.
Her voice, rising above the noise, filled his ears with an endless stream of chatter.
“I’m bored, that’s why I’m calling you.”
“I know it’s noisy! Just deal with it! What? I can’t hear you!”
“Of course I have to support my cousin! I paid a fortune for these scalper tickets, and I don’t even understand this game! I should have bought a new bag instead.”
The director’s tactic for hyping the crowd hadn’t changed in years.
After showing GodV, the camera always cut to Yu Ge.
It was effective, always eliciting enthusiastic cheers.
The nth time he appeared on the big screen, Yu Ge’s patience ran out. As he was about to leave, the woman next to him raised her hand, gesturing for the camera to stop filming her.
Her earrings glittered on the big screen.
No one else understood, but Yu Ge heard her loud and clear.
“So enthusiastic! It’s just a camera! And why keep filming me? Haven’t you seen such a beautiful girl before? So annoying.”
Yu Ge’s lips twitched, suppressing a smile.
…
…
So that was her.
The chaotic scene, the commentary, the cameraman’s antics, even her sparkling earrings.
The difference was, this time, he was on stage, and GodV was in the audience, being asked for his WeChat.
And back then, he’d been the one subjected to her incessant chatter, completely unnoticed by her.
He finished his water, setting down his cup.
On stage, the players’ screens were frozen on the loading screen. Suddenly, two messages appeared in the custom game chat—
[TG-Conquer: hi]
[TG-Conquer: Anyone there?]
Awen glanced at Yu Ge, whose expression remained unchanged.
That little punk… asking for trouble…
[TG-Killer: Ignore our ADC. He’s having a moment.]
[OG-Will: hhhhhhhhh] [Laughter]
[TG-Killer: Go easy on us, guys.]
[OG-Awen: ? Don’t flatter yourself.]
Before the game started, a staff member came on stage to clear away trash. They paused, looking at Yu Ge’s empty cup.
Huh? Why is it crushed…?
✧✧✧
The bot lane matchup was the highlight of this highly anticipated final.
And it didn’t disappoint. Both junglers camped bot lane, even the top laners teleporting down for ganks.
Unlike other regions, the LPL was known for its aggressive, all-out style. Players were quick to fight, skirmishes erupting all over the map. Careful farming and strategic rotations could wait.
Of course, Xu Yitong and her equally clueless friends understood none of this.
They listened to the casters’ excited commentary: “Another fight bot lane! Awen and K are focusing bot hard! What’s going on? Both Fish and Conquer are playing so aggressively! Fish is usually more measured; why is he so fired up today?”
The atmosphere was so intense that even CC wanted to yell, “Stop fighting!”
Xu Yitong, not understanding the intricacies of the game, was distracted.
She barely watched the match, using her binoculars to focus on Yu Ge.
The binoculars, recommended by a friend who was a K-pop fan, were powerful. Xu Yitong could even see the sweat on his forehead.
As cool as ever! So handsome!
The first two games were a split, each team winning one.
During the break, the man sitting next to Xu Yitong left.
CC watched him go, increasingly annoyed. “Xu Yitong, can you do anything right? You couldn’t even get his WeChat! I should have done it myself! And put away those binoculars! You look like a creep!”
“Why didn’t you ask him then?” Xu Yitong retorted.
The break ended.
In game three, Chen Yuzheng played Vayne, a grueling hour-long match that TG narrowly won, bringing them to match point.
In game four, OG first-picked Caitlyn for Yu Ge and banned two of Chen Yuzheng’s ADCs. The targeted bans proved effective, OG winning decisively in the mid-game.
The score was tied again.
The final match began.
“How long is this going to take?” Cai Yishi complained, shifting uncomfortably in her seat.
The three friends, bored and unable to understand the game, started playing Honor of Kings on their phones.
Xu Yitong cared about the outcome, but she couldn’t bear to watch either team lose. As the final game started, she looked down at her phone, scrolling through Weibo.
Several hashtags related to the match were trending.
One, in particular, caught her attention: [Wan Fish].
She clicked on it.
Reading the discussions and seeing the photos, she realized the man who’d been sitting next to her was… GodV?!
But… what did he have to do with Yu Ge?
Many newer fans, like her, were unfamiliar with GodV, confused by the trending topic.
Older fans, in the comments, explained the history between the two players.
Once, WR had ruled the LPL.
The LPL was known for its strong ADCs, producing talented players year after year. But for a long time, whenever a team faced WR, they’d already conceded the bot lane.
WR.Wan was the undisputed king of the LPL, a terrifyingly dominant ADC, a nightmare for every other bot lane in the region.
Fish, rising from the amateur scene, had shown flashes of brilliance, a young prodigy. But no matter how talented or skilled he was, he couldn’t overcome that mountain.
OG had repeatedly lost in the finals, always one step away from the championship. Yu Ge had been called “second best” for years.
Then, in Season 8, the veteran WR players retired. With their star players gone, the LPL had tried to delay GodV’s official retirement announcement.
In Season 9, GodV got married, his focus shifting to his family. He became a substitute player for WR, rarely appearing on stage.
That same year, Yu Ge won his first championship.
…
…
“OG wins!” the casters shouted, pulling Xu Yitong back to reality.
She looked up. The stadium was ablaze with lights, the crowd cheering.
She instinctively clapped along.
CC and Cai Yishi, however, remained silent, looking dejected.
“They lost again,” CC sighed.
“Poor Di-di,” Cai Yishi said.
Xu Yitong, seeing their disappointment, stopped clapping, feeling a pang of sympathy for Chen Yuzheng.
Having just learned about Yu Ge’s long struggle, she felt that a little setback wouldn’t hurt Chen Yuzheng.
“Second place isn’t bad” she said, trying to comfort them.
“Chen Yuzheng was always at the bottom of his class. My aunt will be thrilled he even managed to get second place.”
After the awards ceremony, they joined the exiting crowd.
“Di-di, good job! It’ll be okay,” Xu Yitong messaged Chen Yuzheng as they walked to the parking lot.
He didn’t reply.
The parking lot was still packed, the exits blocked.
“What is going on? Why isn’t anyone leaving?” CC asked, frustrated, after honking several times. She found a spot to park.
Cai Yishi, exhausted after five hours of watching the match, was asleep in the backseat.
Xu Yitong, sitting in the passenger seat, messaged Yu Ge. [Congratulations! You were amazing today!]
He didn’t reply either.
Fine, she thought, putting away her phone, slightly disappointed.
✧✧✧
Backstage, after the awards ceremony, the OG team were surrounded by reporters and staff asking for photos and interviews.
The interview room door opened, and a group of people came out.
“A-ge? What are you doing here?” Awen asked, surprised. [A-ge is a respectful term of address for an older brother or male figure.]
“Wenwen!” Aaron greeted him enthusiastically, putting an arm around his shoulder. “Our boss called us. Looks like WR is going to Worlds this year.” [Wenwen is a diminutive form of Awen’s name.]
“Oh, I see.”
Yu Ge, noticing GodV standing nearby, smoking, met his gaze. They nodded at each other, a silent acknowledgment.
“I watched your match today. You were incredible! Still got it!” Aaron exclaimed.
“You flatter me. I can’t compare to you back in the day,” Awen said, shaking his head.
Like many veteran players, he’d been a victim of GodV’s dominance in the past.
“Most of our generation have retired,” GGbond said. [GGbond was another nickname for GodV.]
“Yeah, I’m probably done after this year, too. One last shot at Worlds,” Awen said.
The veterans reminisced while the others listened politely.
Aaron looked at Yu Ge, who stood there silently, his expression as indifferent as if he hadn’t just won a championship.
The rookie from years ago was now the star player, carrying the hopes of the region.
Aaron patted Yu Ge’s shoulder. “You’ve gotten even more handsome. I knew you’d make it big, stealing all our female fans back then.”
Yu Ge simply thanked him.
Awen, sensing the awkward silence, said, “GodV’s still got it, too, even after getting married.”
“True” GGBond nodded. “I saw some girl asking for his WeChat in the audience. Hope his wife isn’t too jealous.”
“Haha, you know GodV. He probably loves it when Shu Jia gets jealous.”
They laughed, not noticing Yu Ge’s increasingly grim expression.
✧✧✧
Xu Yitong, having received no reply from Yu Ge, assumed he was busy with post-game activities.
After an hour stuck in the parking lot, and a late dinner, she finally got home.
She checked her phone. Still no reply.
Did he get too many congratulatory messages? Was mine buried?
She sent another message. [What are you doing?]
Then a few more.
-Unlucky Zhenzhen: [I saw there’s a meteor shower in a couple of days. Want to watch it?]
No reply.
-Unlucky Zhenzhen: [Really not going?]
Still no reply.
An hour passed. Silence. A familiar feeling of dread washed over her. Did he block me again?
Oh, how she missed those “training” replies.
She thought for a moment, then decided to bluff. [I’m outside your base.]
Almost instantly, he replied with a question mark.
She immediately called him.
He declined the call.
She called again.
He declined again.
“If you decline my call one more time, I’m going to die!” she typed angrily.
She tried one last time.
This time, perhaps because of her dramatic message, he didn’t decline, but he didn’t answer either.
After fifty seconds of ringing, just as the call was about to disconnect, he finally picked up.
“Hello?” she said, putting him on speakerphone.
There was noise in the background, but he didn’t speak.
Feeling a surge of self-pity, she launched into a dramatic monologue.
“I was having such a good day! I watched your match, had delicious Yunnan food for dinner, even had some yogurt wine! Then my day was ruined!”
After her lengthy rant, he finally responded. “By what?”
“You! Ignoring my messages again!”
Silence. Then, “What were you happy about?”
“Huh?”
“Getting his WeChat?” he asked flatly.