Ning Shiyue had been working on the set of Tidal Order these days, starting makeup sessions at the crack of dawn and wrapping up late at night, only to then rush through memorizing the next day’s lines. Getting a full six hours of sleep was a luxury.
Finally, today’s shoot ended early, and with fewer scenes scheduled for the male lead tomorrow, Ning Shiyue decided to unwind by logging into a game he hadn’t played in ages.
Just as he was about to queue up for a solo match, he noticed Ning Yuxuan was online—and already in a party with someone else.
This was the same game Ning Shiyue had introduced her to, but after their argument months ago over Gu Yunhao, she’d completely disappeared from it.
Now, Ning Yuxuan was supposed to be in the middle of filming at a villa where phone usage was restricted. So why had she suddenly reappeared?
Then he remembered the trending topic he’d seen at dinner—this week’s guest on her show was a professional esports player. Alarm bells went off in his head.
She wouldn’t play with him, but now she was willing to team up with some so-called "genius" kid younger than him?
He sent her a private message in-game. No response.
Impatient, he switched to WeChat.
Five minutes later, she finally replied:
Ning Yuxuan: Want to join? We have three here—two spots left.
Ning Shiyue frowned.
No way was he playing with that scrawny, baby-faced brat.
And she still hadn’t answered his question—how was she even using her phone during filming?
He typed: Wait, you still haven’t—
Ning Yuxuan: Coming or not? We’re starting soon.
Ning Shiyue: "…"
Fine.
He logged back into the game, then impulsively invited Zhuang Yiming, another actor from the crew.
Zhuang Yiming played the male lead’s best friend in the drama, and off-screen, they got along well enough.
To put it bluntly, Zhuang Yiming’s popularity was nowhere near Ning Shiyue’s, and their career paths didn’t overlap, so there was no real competition.
Personality-wise, Zhuang Yiming was cheerful and knew how to lighten the mood without overstepping—someone Ning Shiyue actually enjoyed being around.
After weeks on set together, they’d grown familiar with each other. Ning Shiyue had even seen Zhuang Yiming play this game before and knew he was decent.
Normally, if Ning Yuxuan invited him, he wouldn’t bring anyone else.
But this time, she had Duan Ziyao with her.
Ning Shiyue considered himself skilled, but Duan Ziyao was a professional. Just in case things went south, having Zhuang Yiming as backup wouldn’t hurt.
The party filled up, and the leader started matchmaking.
On the loading screen, Ning Shiyue squinted at the two unfamiliar avatars beside Ning Yuxuan and Zhuang Yiming.
One was a pink rabbit with strawberries on its head—probably Jiang Ning’an, the actress Ning Yuxuan had mentioned in a text a few days ago, bragging about the bunny-print pajamas she’d received from her.
The other had a bluish-gray anime profile picture.
Ning Shiyue glared at it. That’s definitely Duan Ziyao.
Just as the match began, someone knocked on his hotel room door.
"Shiyue, it’s me!"
Zhuang Yiming was actually two years older, but since Ning Shiyue had debuted earlier, he’d always addressed him this way out of respect.
Ning Shiyue let him in.
Zhuang Yiming plopped onto the couch, phone in hand. "What’s up? Never thought you’d invite me to game. Who are the others? That pink avatar—your girlfriend?"
Ning Shiyue rolled his eyes. "No. Just playing with my sister."
Zhuang Yiming brightened. "Ning Yuxuan?"
Ning Shiyue frowned. "Yeah. Why’d you call her that?"
Zhuang Yiming grinned. "I’m a fan! Watched a couple episodes of that mom-life variety show she’s on—she’s the best part. Gorgeous, warm, just radiates charm."
Ning Shiyue: "…"
"Gorgeous" and "charming" aside, since when was Ning Yuxuan warm?
"Whatever. The one named ‘Taro Bubble Tea’ is her. If you’re such a fan, show off your skills. Impress her."
And crush Duan Ziyao while you’re at it.
Zhuang Yiming nodded eagerly. "Got it! What role does she usually play?"
"ADC."
"Perfect, I’ll lane with her— Wait, she picked a mage? Mid lane?"
Ning Shiyue’s frown deepened.
Whenever they’d played before, Ning Yuxuan never went mid.
What was going on?
Then it hit him—Duan Ziyao’s profile listed him as a mid-lane specialist.
His face twisted further.
Was she copying Duan Ziyao’s playstyle now? Or worse—was he coaching her live?
Zhuang Yiming studied the picks. "Strawberry Bunny Cake took a fighter, and the last guy hasn’t chosen yet. Shiyue, you wanna jungle? I’ll go bot."
Ning Shiyue hesitated. "Fine."
Jungling gave him more freedom to gank mid—Ning Yuxuan’s lane.
The game started, and Ning Shiyue focused intently.
If he outperformed Duan Ziyao today, he’d finally have bragging rights over Ning Yuxuan.
He could already hear himself saying it next time they met—
That ‘genius pro player’? Overrated. Couldn’t even carry a casual match better than me.
But barely a minute in, as he was clearing jungle camps, Zhuang Yiming suddenly exclaimed.
"Whoa! Who is this guy? His ADC mechanics are insane!"
Ning Shiyue: "…"
The First Blood announcement blared—Duan Ziyao’s ADC had taken down an opponent.
Unaware of Ning Shiyue’s darkening expression, Zhuang Yiming kept gushing. "This dude’s legit! Right, Shiy—"
He turned and immediately clamped his mouth shut.
Cautiously, he asked, "Shiyue… who is this bot-laner? Your rival?"
Ning Shiyue gritted his teeth. "No."
"Then…" Zhuang Yiming ventured, "Ning Yuxuan’s boyfriend?"
Everyone on set knew how protective Ning Shiyue was of his family—especially his sister.
In the entertainment industry, Ning Shiyue had zero interest in gossip news. However, whenever Ning Yuxuan was involved in even the slightest stir, he would always be the first to jump in. Wasn’t Cheng Xiyang a living example of that?
If Ning Shiyue was scowling, nine times out of ten, it had something to do with his sister.
Sure enough, the moment the name "Yuxuan" was mentioned, Ning Shiyue’s face darkened further. "He’s not my sister’s boyfriend!"
Just denying it wasn’t enough—after a pause, he added fiercely, "Him? As if!"
Zhuang Yiming grew even more curious. "Then who is it? Can you tell me? If not, I won’t ask."
Ning Shiyue hesitated for a second. "Just some annoying guy."
Zhuang Yiming’s eyes gleamed mischievously. "Want me to sabotage him? Like, pretend to mess up my skills or suddenly retreat during a fight and leave him hanging? Just to vent your anger?"
Ning Shiyue: "...No. Just play normally."
He wanted to compete fairly against Duan Ziyao, to prove his own skill and carry Ning Yuxuan properly—not through underhanded tricks.
Besides, Zhuang Yiming was his guest. If the acting was too obvious, Ning Yuxuan would notice something was off.
Zhuang Yiming: "Your call. Then I’ll actually try my best!"
Ning Shiyue: "Mm."
Two minutes later, another skirmish broke out in the bottom lane.
Ning Shiyue was busy helping Jiang Ning’an push the top lane when he noticed Ning Yuxuan had also gone to support the bottom lane.
Five seconds later, another victory announcement flashed.
Zero casualties for three kills—Ning Yuxuan secured one, Duan Ziyao took two.
"This guy is really—" Zhuang Yiming instinctively started to praise, then caught himself and swerved. "I mean, he’s just average! Basic mechanics, anyone could do that!"
Ning Shiyue: "..."
Listening to Zhuang Yiming’s blatantly insincere belittling only made him angrier.
Ning Shiyue even considered typing in all-chat to flame the enemy bot lane: Do you even know how to play? Giving up first blood in under two minutes, then getting wiped 3-0 before five minutes? What kind of garbage is this?
He held back.
The champion Ning Shiyue had picked was a mid-game scaler—he needed to farm a few more jungle camps first.
But by the time Ning Shiyue had quietly farmed up and finally reached his power spike, Zhuang Yiming and Duan Ziyao’s bot lane duo had already steamrolled the enemy team.
Before Ning Shiyue could even flex his skills, the game was over.
A crushing victory, with Duan Ziyao taking MVP at a flawless 12/0 scoreline.
Zhuang Yiming, aware of Ning Shiyue’s dislike for their marksman, tried to downplay it: "This guy just got lucky with MVP. The enemy bot lane was trash—they kept feeding him kills."
Yet his actions betrayed his words as he immediately clicked the "Add Friend" button.
The moment the friend request was sent, he felt a pair of icy eyes boring into him.
Looking up, he met Ning Shiyue’s frosty glare.
Zhuang Yiming laughed awkwardly. "Uh… I’m just bookmarking him! So next time we match against him, I can crush him properly!"
Ning Shiyue: "..."
Yeah, right.
The friend request Zhuang Yiming had sent clearly read: "Dude, you’re cracked! Wanna duo next time?"
Ning Shiyue couldn’t be bothered to call him out. Instead, he privately messaged Ning Yuxuan in-game: Another round? You like playing ADC, right? I’ll support you next game.
She didn’t reply in-game—instead, a WeChat notification popped up.
Ning Yuxuan: Not playing anymore! Gotta log off.
Ning Shiyue nearly choked.
That was it? He hadn’t even gotten a chance to show off!
Ning Shiyue: One more game! It’s rare we get to play together. What, someone on your team doesn’t want to keep going?
Ning Shiyue: Doesn’t matter if we’re missing a couple players—I can still carry you.
Was it that Duan guy? Scared he can’t keep up his performance next game?
Ning Yuxuan: No, the crew’s coming to collect our phones. Time’s up.
Ning Yuxuan: Since when are you so addicted to gaming? Was getting carried that fun?
Ning Shiyue: "???"
He had a million things to say, fingers flying across the screen.
Ning Yuxuan: Seriously, gotta go—staff’s here. Bye! Go crush your scenes tomorrow!
Ning Shiyue: "..."
His unsent rant still in the text box, he tossed his phone onto the bed in frustration.
They’d only played one game together, exchanged a few messages, and she was already rushing to say goodbye.
Even if the show confiscated her phone, she’d still be celebrating the win with Duan Ziyao—probably discussing strategies, chatting for another half hour, maybe even an hour!
And who knew what else that guy might try to sneak into the conversation?
The more Ning Shiyue thought about it, the angrier he got.
Sensing the mood, Zhuang Yiming seized the chance to bail. "Shiyue, looks like the party disbanded. They’re done, right? I should head out—got an early call time tomorrow."
Ning Shiyue let him leave.
After a moment, he picked up his phone again, scrolling through WeChat until he found Xie Zhiyan’s contact.
Ning Shiyue: "..."
Hesitating briefly, he sent a message: Zhiyan, you busy? Did Yuxuan contact you today?
A reply came shortly after.
Xie Zhiyan: No. Why? Did something happen?
Ning Shiyue: No no, nothing’s wrong! Just randomly thought to ask.
Reading Xie Zhiyan’s response, Ning Shiyue suddenly felt a little better.
At least Ning Yuxuan had replied to him and even invited him to play.
But Xie Zhiyan? She hadn’t reached out to him at all!
What did that mean?
It meant that in Ning Yuxuan’s eyes, her little brother ranked higher than her boyfriend!
As for that Duan guy? Just a temporary proximity thing. Once filming wrapped, they’d probably never cross paths again.
With that thought, Ning Shiyue’s mood improved significantly.
After a beat, he sent Xie Zhiyan another message: Zhiyan, do you play Glory of Kings?
Xie Zhiyan: No. Why?
Ning Shiyue: Nothing, just played a game earlier with Yuxuan. Besides us, there was my friend and two people from her side.
Ning Shiyue: Thought if you played, we could team up next time. Anyway, won’t bother you further. Take care!
Sending those messages, Ning Shiyue locked his screen, satisfied.
If that Duan guy really had designs on Ning Yuxuan, it wasn’t him—the little brother—who should be worried.
That was Xie Zhiyan’s problem.
...
In the villa of Beicheng, the production crew allowed the participants to relax with their phones for less than an hour before collecting them again.
Duan Ziyao played games much like he did in post-match voice chats—sparing with words, only occasionally calling out skills or positions. Even when they secured a landslide victory, he remained composed, with just the faintest upward curve at the corner of his lips.
At least these two rounds hadn’t been embarrassing. Hopefully, Ning Yuxuan now believed in his skills as a professional player.
Before their phones were taken away, the group exchanged in-game friend requests.
Ning Yuxuan and Jiang Ning'an laughed and celebrated their wins.
Duan Ziyao, however, carried himself with a maturity unusual for a boy his age. "I’ll head upstairs first," he said.
"Mm-hmm!" After these two matches, Jiang Ning'an's impression of Duan Ziyao had improved even further. "Go rest, Ziyao. Don’t keep your mom waiting."
Duan Ziyao nodded. "Then... you two should rest early too. See you tomorrow."
Jiang Ning'an waved cheerfully. "Bye!"
Ning Yuxuan also gave him a small wave.
Duan Ziyao’s ears tinged slightly pink as he nodded and hurried off.
Once he was upstairs, Jiang Ning'an turned to Ning Yuxuan. "He’s really a good kid. Quiet, but perceptive and polite—and his gaming skills are amazing!"
Ning Yuxuan teased, "You said so much, but I think the last part was the real point, wasn’t it?"
Jiang Ning'an laughed. "You got me. You have no idea how hard it is to find a good teammate. When I play with others, I usually have to carry the team."
Ning Yuxuan raised an eyebrow. "They’re not as good as you?"
Jiang Ning'an smiled sheepishly. "Pretty much. Not many of my friends are better than me."
Then she remembered something. "Speaking of which, your brother isn’t bad either! His jungler play was solid—it’s just that the game ended before he could really pop off."
Ning Yuxuan smirked. "Too bad he didn’t hear that. It might’ve cheered him up a little."
Jiang Ning'an tilted her head. "Huh? Is he in a bad mood?"
Ning Yuxuan shook her head. "Worse. Seeing Ziyao take MVP probably pissed him off."
Jiang Ning'an was confused. "Why? Who wouldn’t love being carried?"
Ning Yuxuan chuckled. "For most people, sure. But not Ning Shiyue."
Since childhood, Ning Shiyue had one peculiar trait: if Ning Yuxuan ever praised another boy his age in front of him, he’d inevitably make snide remarks about them—as if possessive of her compliments.
Ning Yuxuan had noticed this long ago and sometimes deliberately teased him, like praising another boy’s looks just to see his reaction.
This time, even without her saying anything, she knew Duan Ziyao’s standout performance would leave Ning Shiyue sulking for a while.
Too bad the production crew had taken their phones so quickly, cutting short her chance to poke fun at him further.
After chatting a bit longer, Ning Yuxuan and Jiang Ning'an headed upstairs to rest.
The next morning, the livestream resumed.
The second day’s activities still revolved around games, this time revisiting childhood classics like hoop rolling and hopscotch.
The mothers, who had played these games in their youth, found themselves reliving old memories.
Points were still awarded, but this time, the only prize for first place was a small commemorative trophy from the production crew.
Though the reward was simple, no one wanted to lose.
Even the elegant Ning Fei and the poised Qin Man threw themselves into each game with surprising intensity.
The atmosphere was lively and fun.
[I bet Teacher Ning and Teacher Qin never imagined they’d compete again after all these years—over hopscotch of all things!]
[LOL, they’re both going all out. Feels like they’re trying harder than when they were competing for Best Actress!]
[You can tell everyone’s serious about winning. I’ve never seen them this determined—Teacher Qin’s even sweating!]
In the end, Qin Man and Jiang Ning'an’s team came out on top, taking home the little trophy.
A group photo was taken and hung on the villa’s first-floor wall.
After the morning’s activities, the production crew brought out more nostalgic gaming consoles in the afternoon—like vintage Tetris handhelds and classic Famicom systems.
[Honestly, I’m impressed with the props team. Where did they even dig up these relics?]
[And yesterday’s arcade fighting game machine looked like it was as old as me!]
By the end of the day, everyone had thoroughly enjoyed themselves.
Ning Yuxuan eyed the Tetris machine. "Are these for sale? How much? Oh, and that one too—can I bundle them?"
[LMAO, Ning Yuxuan’s here to shop! First the arcade cabinet, now this.]
[I kinda want one too. These look seriously fun.]
[You’re all amateurs—I already ordered mine online!]
[The production crew probably didn’t expect this episode to double as a shopping channel.]
When the livestream ended at 4 PM, both the guests and viewers were reluctant to say goodbye.
[I hereby declare Duan Ziyao and Auntie Su my favorite guest stars! Can they come back next time?]
[Probably not, sadly. The show said each guest group only does one episode. I’ll miss them too!]
[I don’t mind! As long as Teacher Ning and Teacher Qin’s mother-daughter duos stay, I’ll watch whoever else joins.]
[See you all next week!]
After the stream ended, the crew bid farewell to the guests.
Su Yun held hands with Qin Man and Ning Fei. "Teacher Qin, Teacher Ning, it’s been such an honor to film with you and your daughters. Wishing you continued success and everlasting beauty!"
Then she turned to Ning Yuxuan. "Yuxuan, Auntie really adores you. Ahem—anyway, I hope you and your boyfriend stay happy together!"
Ning Yuxuan smiled. "Thank you, Auntie Su."
The car from Qin Man’s studio arrived first, picking up Qin Man and Jiang Ning'an.
Ning Yuxuan said her goodbyes, promising to meet again next week.
Soon after, a bronze Bentley slowly pulled into the filming area.
Ning Yuxuan and Ning Fei exchanged glances.
Ning Fei frowned. "Did you ask Zhiyan to pick us up? Why didn’t you tell me?"
Ning Yuxuan blinked. "No, I thought you contacted him."
Ning Fei smiled. "Seems like Zhiyan missed you and wanted to surprise you."
The car came to a gentle stop, and Xie Zhiyan stepped out holding a small bouquet of dusty pink roses.
Under the curious gazes of the staff on-site, Xie Zhiyan handed the flowers to Ning Yuxuan.
"Aunt Ning, Yuxuan," he said with a faint smile. "Let’s get in the car first? We can talk more inside."
Ning Fei glanced at her daughter, who was holding the bouquet, and nodded with a smile. "Alright."
Ning Yuxuan examined the small bunch of roses Xie Zhiyan had given her. "Why not red this time?"
His voice was gentle. "Didn’t want you to get tired of the same thing every time."
Still toying with the flowers, Ning Yuxuan slid into the back seat.
Xie Zhiyan was the last to enter the car.
The man’s gaze swept casually over the staff present, lingering for an extra second on the face of a tall, lean young man in a dark short-sleeved shirt.
After the brief eye contact, he gave no further reaction and turned to get into the car.
Xie Zhiyan’s presence was so overpowering that even the usually talkative Su Yun froze for a few seconds before remembering to ask her son, "Duan Ziyao, did that man know you? It looked like he glanced at you."
Duan Ziyao: "..."
After a pause, the young man shook his head. "No, I don’t know him."
The other’s gaze had been calm and indifferent, as if it had merely brushed over him by chance.
But he could still faintly sense why that man had looked at him.
Pure instinct.
