That voice came from beside her.
It was like an electric current, sending a tingling, numbing sensation straight through her heart.
Lan Lengyu was already feeling a bit entranced, and couldn't help saying, "Little Qiao, your voice is so pretty, and you're amazing at the game too."
After the compliment, he cut straight to the chase: "Got a game CP?"
What he really meant was to ask, indirectly, if she had a boyfriend.
Chu Xubai cut him off immediately: "Focus on the game. Stop messing around."
Lan Lengyu let out a soft sigh. "Hey, come on, Old Chu, I was just asking."
Xie Linchuan chimed in, "Yeah, yeah, you talk too much. Just focus on pushing the tower."
Even the usually quiet Ruying typed out a line.
Ruying (Sang Qi): [Cut the chatter. Meng Tian is coming to gank again.]
The enemy's respawn timer was up.
The top lane tower was gone, not that he'd been planning to defend it anyway.
Qingshan Dugu Yuan had stopped caring about winning or losing; all he wanted was to save face.
He respawned at the fountain and charged straight down the lane without hesitation.
Xie Linchuan's voice crackled through the voice channel.
"No way, again?! Does he have a personal grudge against me or something..."
His Aileen was huddling under the tower, farming minions as carefully as she could.
But Meng Tian and the enemy jungler, Monkey King, seemed to have planned it all in advance. They charged in from the river, sealing off every escape route.
Monkey King led with a swing of his staff, and her health bar dropped by a huge chunk in an instant.
Meng Tian's giant shield came crashing down right after.
"Help, help, help!"
Xie Linchuan's fingers furiously mashed the Flash skill. Aileen blinked out just in time to dodge Meng Tian's fatal blow, but Monkey King's second swing was already raised above her head.
"Ruying! Sang Qi! Save me!"
His voice was tinged with a desperate scream.
But the support Sang Qi didn't react at all.
Not moving a muscle.
He just stood under the tower, like he was watching the whole thing for laughs.
"Seriously, bro, are you actually AFK?!"
Xie Linchuan was about to cry from frustration.
Aileen's health bar was just a sliver. Monkey King's third swing would kill her for sure.
Just as Monkey King leaped into the air, a dark crimson figure emerged silently from the shadows of the jungle.
Akai appeared as if out of nowhere behind Monkey King, her combo so fast it was almost a blur.
First skill to start, second skill to close in and stab.
Monkey King's staff hadn't even come down yet before his health bar hit rock bottom.
She had high gold from taking down Meng Tian twice earlier.
The combo executed instantly.
Monkey King's icon immediately grayed out.
Meng Tian reacted quickly, spinning his shield to counterattack.
But Akai's ultimate had already refreshed, and her figure melted back into the darkness.
Just as Meng Tian lost his target and his skills missed, the dagger struck from another angle—one slash, two slashes.
"Double Kill——!"
Two corpses fell together, side by side.
Xie Linchuan heard the sound effect, froze for two seconds, and then let out a long, relieved breath.
There was a mix of post-escape exhaustion and... a reluctant sense of safety in his voice.
"...You were just in time, I guess."
Qiao Liuyue didn't reply.
Akai paused for a moment under the tower, then turned and slipped back into the jungle, continuing to farm gold.
To cover up his awkwardness—or maybe because his anger hadn't fully subsided—
Xie Linchuan shouted over the voice channel:
"Ahhh! Support, Ruying, what are you doing?! Every time Meng Tian comes to gank me, you AFK! I'm losing it!"
Ruying: [Sorry, lag spike.]
Xie Linchuan: "Lag again? Again?! Didn't I tell you to switch to 5G?!"
Ruying: [5G lags too.]
Xie Linchuan couldn't help but rant, "Come on, lagging for real? You're not messing with me on purpose, are you?"
Ruying: [Accident.]
Xie Linchuan didn't have much else to say.
Luckily, Ruying didn't cause any more major issues after that.
After that double kill,
Qiao Liuyue's gold skyrocketed, item after item came together.
Dark Cleaver, Infinity Edge, Trinity Force.
When they pushed the inhibitor later, Akai's damage was already ridiculous.
Squishies couldn't last two seconds against her, and even a fat tank like Meng Tian couldn't take more than three slashes.
During the last team fight, Qiao Liuyue flanked from the side—triple kill, quadra kill, ace. The bright red "Victory" flashed on the screen.
The stats screen appeared.
Akai was the undeniable MVP.
Top-tier jungler.
Xie Linchuan stared at the stats, his mouth twitching. He wanted to say something but swallowed it back down.
He thought to himself: Even though Jiaojiao's friend isn't the best person, her gameplay is still pretty solid.
This round ended.
Lan Lengyu had already launched into full compliment mode.
"Little Qiao, now I know why you chose that ID. Your jungle is insane—total skill player, I'm impressed!"
"When are you free? Let's queue up again sometime."
Chu Xubai interrupted, "Queue up for what? Remember why you're here?"
Lan Lengyu: "As a paid companion."
Chu Xubai: "Then why would you—"
Lan Lengyu cut him off: "I can play for free with Little Qiao."
Qiao Liuyue's voice carried a hint of laughter. "Sorry, I charge a fee."
Lan Lengyu's enthusiasm was instantly doused.
"Wah wah wah, Little Qiao, how could you be so heartless..."
Xie Linchuan had been trying to speak but couldn't get a word in, so he quickly threw in a line.
"Lan Lengyu, don't be a simp."
He had only meant it as a joke.
But who would've guessed Qiao Liuyue would reply in a serious tone: "Yeah, I already have a dog."
Chu Xubai: "..."
Ruying: [???]
The dog in question, Xie Linchuan, felt a strange twinge in his heart at those words.
Then he spoke up, agitated.
"What's all this about dogs? Qiao Liuyue, let me tell you, you may be good at the game, but you don't have to humiliate people like that."
Qiao Liuyue's tone was indifferent, with a hint of playful teasing.
"Why are you getting so worked up about it?"
"Might give people the wrong idea."
Xie Linchuan stammered, "I, I, I...!!!"
How frustrating.
Did he have no pride left?
Could he really let everyone know that he lost their 1v1 PK and now had to be Qiao Liuyue’s dog for a month?
No way would Xie Linchuan, with his pride, admit that.
He forced himself to say, "I'm just standing up for Lan Lengyu."
Lan Lengyu chuckled. "No need. If Little Qiao’s interested, I wouldn’t mind being her dog either."
Xie Linchuan: "...!!! Lan Lengyu, where's your dignity? You're dragging all men through the mud!"
Lan Lengyu replied, "That’s just online. Especially after seeing my Little Qiao's performance just now — if this were real life, who wouldn't fight tooth and nail for a chance?"
Lan Lengyu then tried to get someone to back him up.
"Hammer, what do you think? And you too, Ruying."
Chu Xubai: "If given the choice, I’d still rather be human."
Ruying: [Makes sense.]
Xie Linchuan let out a cold, sarcastic laugh.
"Crazy! Absolutely crazy! It’s not like nobody else has ever been a top-tier jungler..." His voice trailed off, getting quieter.
—Hey everyone, happy 520!
Here's a little bonus scene.
...
White Valentine's Day.
Xie Linchuan had set up a carefully prepared surprise, but his girlfriend was taking forever to come home.
His messages to her went unanswered.
He was too stubborn to admit he was jealous and just stewed in his own anger.
When Qiao Liuyue finally got home, she found a big lump curled up on the sofa corner.
Like a lonely, sulking husky.
She walked over and patted his head.
"Are you mad?"
Xie Linchuan: "No."
Qiao Liuyue relaxed.
"Good, you're not mad. I was going to keep it a secret, but today I went to see a movie with Xiao Bai — couples' seats, and I didn't tell you."
Xie Linchuan puffed out his cheeks and widened his eyes, radiating fury: "...!!!"
Qiao Liuyue: "Oh, and that takeout I brought home for you? It's actually leftovers from a candlelit dinner the neighbor guy treated me to."
Xie Linchuan felt like he might cry: "...!!!"
Qiao Liuyue: "Also, I forgot to buy you a Valentine's Day gift."
Xie Linchuan shot up from his seat, half a head taller than her.
His shadow fell over her, and his eyes, like a wronged puppy's, narrowed slightly.
But his voice came out harsh and angry.
"I'm going to throw a real fit now!"
Qiao Liuyue smiled sweetly. "Didn't you say you weren't mad?"
Xie Linchuan let out a growl, swept her up into his arms, and gritted his teeth.
"I'M NOT MAD... BUT I AM JEALOUS!"
