You’re Causing Chaos Again

It wasn’t just Shen Yanming who was shocked.

The audience who came to watch the livestream was originally engaged in lively discussions when suddenly a big shot who continuously smashing cat beds. Everyone focused their attention and saw that the big shot who was smashing the cat beds turned out to be Kong.

Kong even said he wanted to be Luanzi Ge’s exclusive healer!

For a moment, the livestream chat room fell silent, but soon the barrage flooded the entire screen like a tidal wave.

– What the f*ck, is this for real?

– Let me check if it’s a fake account.

– It’s really him! This account has been verified by the platform.

– Weren’t you just saying that Luanzi ge couldn’t get into TMM? How does it feel to eat your words? Kong personally invited Luanzi ge to join the team.

– I’m so jealous. I want to switch souls with Luan Luanzi[/Lemon].

– Has Kong lost his mind? Is he a coach or a manager? Does he have the authority to make decisions about the team roster?

– What does “exclusive healer” mean? Is Meng Yan quitting?

– How is that possible? It’s not even the transfer period. Let’s put aside whether Luanzi ge can actually join TMM or not, even if he does, he’ll probably be a substitute. What exclusive healer? It’s just nonsense.

– I don’t fully understand, but it feels so domineering and sweet. Sorry, Yan Shen, I’ll climb the wall first to pay my respect.

– These two definitely have something going on ←_←

– Wait, there’s a post from a Weibo gossip account! It says Luanzi ge went to XXL’s lounge tonight, and when he came out, their manager personally saw him off. They were chatting and laughing together. The person who posted even said that it’s already circulating within their circle, and Luanzi ge will probably sign with XXL.

– Wow, so that’s why Kong is so anxious? Are these two teams fighting over Luanzi ge?

– Huh? Is Luanzi ge really that awesome?

…

Shen Yanming’s mind was also in chaos, and his thoughts were similar to those of the viewers who were commenting. Firstly, TMM didn’t lack players right now. Previously, Kong’s insistence on recruiting him earlier could be justified as expanding the team’s reserve roster, but now talking about “exclusive healer” was going too far.

Admittedly, when Shen Yanming saw the sentence Kong had written, he was not only surprised but also had an indescribable flutter in his heart.

“Exclusive” meant being the only one, and the player he admired the most was saying that he wanted to be his personal healer.

Any Return of Thrones professional player who played the DPS role would be moved when they heard those words.

But despite being moved, when he thought about it carefully, nothing seemed right. If Kong became his dedicated support, then what about Meng Yan? In his memory, Nightmare didn’t leave TMM until much later, and at least at this stage, their team had no issues with their players.

Shen Yanming urgently closed the livestream and found Kong’s account in the list of donors.

Of course, he was still a little afraid, afraid that Kong would bring up the matter of that smurf account. But now, pretending to be ignorant was really not an option.

Summoning his courage, he clicked on the private chat with Kong.

[I’m Messing Around Again]: Kong ge??

[Kong_]: Hmm?

[Kong_]: Weren’t you calling me “wife” before?

[I’m Messing Around Again]: …………

Ah, so that person from before really was Kong! Although Shen Yanming had already guessed the answer in his heart, hearing Kong admit it personally still made his scalp tingle. He wished he could turn back time and tightly cover his mouth back then.

Shen Yanming threw his phone onto the hotel room’s bed and paced around, making several circles before picking up the phone again and organizing his thoughts.

[I’m Messing Around Again]: I’m sorry, Kong ge. I didn’t know it was you. I won’t call you that again next time.

He Changkong, who was in the cake shop at the moment, felt a pang in his heart when he saw that message. How could the little guy casually joke around and call him “wife,” but once he found out it was him, he became as scared as a child who had been caught misbehaving, with a face ready to be slapped?

He Changkong wanted to ask, “Why are you so afraid of me?” He typed out the words, but just as he was about to send them, he deleted them.

He always felt that there was already a certain distance between them, and saying that might make it even more inappropriate.

[Kong_]: It’s fine, you can call me whatever you like.

After sending the message, Kong didn’t immediately receive a reply from Shen Yanming. He patted Fish, who was waiting for the cake next to him, and asked, “Do I usually look scary?”

He had asked a similar question to Meng Yan before, but he didn’t receive any useful answers from him.

Fish was a little confused, not understanding why He Changkong suddenly asked this, but he still answered honestly, “It’s okay. When you first joined the team, I thought you were a bit cold, but later I realized that you just don’t talk much. Actually, you’re pretty nice… and you’ve treated us to supper so many times…”

Friendship between boys wasn’t complicated. A meal, a kind gesture, and you could easily bring someone into your circle.

He Changkong thought to himself, but everyone still wasn’t very close to him.

He would often see other close friends joking around, shoulder to shoulder, talking without any reservations, and he couldn’t help but feel a hint of envy. Even though he had known Meng Yan for so many years, they couldn’t achieve that level of closeness.

Of course, the main reason was himself. He knew that his personality was a bit introverted.

Before, he didn’t really mind, but in the previous life, when TMM fell apart, in the end, he was left all alone. The tangible feeling of loneliness surrounded him like an airtight net, making it hard for him to breathe.

He thought that it would be nice if he had a friend he could talk to about anything.

With a chance to start over, he began trying to make some changes.

…Although it seemed to have little effect at the moment.

After a while, Shen Yanming finally replied. His tone still seemed cautious.

[I’m Messing Around Again]: I’m really sorry [kneeling.gif]

[I’m Messing Around Again]: I actually wanted to ask what you meant earlier. Like, you didn’t lose a game of Truth or Dare, did you…

Shen Yanming still couldn’t understand Kong’s reason for his actions tonight. The only reason he could think of was losing in a truth or dare game. But that didn’t make sense because Kong didn’t seem like the type of person to play such a silly game.

[Kong_]: No.

[I’m Messing Around Again]: Then what’s going on? Orz

[Kong_]: I have something in my hand right now, not convenient to talk. Let’s chat later.

Shen Yanming put his phone aside. The rain outside continued relentlessly, and his mind was filled with a jumble of thoughts. First, he thought about how different Kong was from the noble, aloof, and glamorous boy in his mind. Each time, Kong’s image became more mysterious and unpredictable to him. Then he thought about how Kong had smashed so many cat beds, and needed to pay it back later, but the platform would deduct half of the money. As a poor high school student, how could he afford to pay it back? Would he have to become a companion player1companion player: someone who is hired to help other players improve their rankings in competitive games in the future to earn some money?

Lost in his own thoughts, Shen Yanming received a new message notification on WeChat.

It was from Fish.

[fishfishfish2fishfishfish: “鱼鱼鱼” (Yú yú yú)]: Luanzi ge, still want to go to an internet cafe? [sly smile panda head.jpg]

Seeing how heavy the rain was falling, Shen Yanming didn’t feel like going out, so he declined.

[Big Bird Shen3Big Bird Shen: “沈大鸟” (Shěn dà niǎo), da translate to big and niao is bird]: Not going, it’s raining heavily. Let’s meet next time.

[FishyFishyFish]: Okay then. [teary-eyed panda head.jpg]

Shen Yanming felt like his mind was being polluted by the obscene panda heads all over the screen. He suddenly doubted his own intelligence. Why did he think Fish was “Milk’s Not Working,” which was Kong? Fish and Kong had nothing in common, and there was no way he would use these panda head expressions while chatting.

[FishyFishyFish]: But we’re actually near your hotel now. Can we come up and hang out with you? We’ll bring some food~

There was no reason to refuse this, so Shen Yanming sent his room number to Fish. A few minutes later, he heard the doorbell ring.

Wearing slippers, he went to open the door and first saw Fish. Fish’s chubby body almost completely blocked the door, but Shen Yanming still saw someone behind him.

Behind Fish was He Changkong, who nodded at Shen Yanming.

Shen Yanming stood there dumbfounded. He hadn’t noticed that the message Fish had sent him said “we,” so he thought Fish was coming alone.

He scratched his head and awkwardly said, “Ah, Kong ge.”

Fish grinned and said, “Let us in… Oh, by the way, I feel like we might need to borrow your bathroom to take a shower.”

Shen Yanming moved aside, and the two of them entered one after the other. Hearing Fish’s words, he realized that their tops were almost completely soaked, and they looked quite disheveled.

Shen Yanming was still a bit stunned. “Didn’t you bring an umbrella?” After asking, he realized he had asked a pointless question because he had already seen the folded umbrella in Fish’s hand.

Fish, with a slightly annoyed expression, responded, “We did bring one. It was fine before, but when we were crossing the street at the traffic lights, some idiot drove past us and splashed us.”

Shen Yanming said, “That’s terrible. I’ll ask the front desk for a couple of extra towels, so you can wash up. But it seems like there are no spare clothes. I do have extra clothes, but you probably won’t fit into them.”

It went without saying that Fish couldn’t fit into Shen Yanming’s clothes. He was equivalent to two Shen Yanmings, so it was impossible for him to wear Shen Yanming’s clothes. Kong might be able to wear them, though. Even though Kong was almost the same height as Shen Yanming, Shen Yanming’s clothes were generally larger, so it wouldn’t be impossible for him to wear them.

However, Shen Yanming’s t-shirt was adorned with some fancy and eccentric cartoons, like a flying girl detective with fangs. It would look very out of place on Kong.

Fish hadn’t considered this earlier, and upon hearing Shen Yanming’s words, he looked a bit uneasy. But He Changkong remained calm as usual. “Do you have a dryer here?”

Shen Yanming suddenly remembered that he did have one and nodded repeatedly. “Yes I have, I have.”

“That’s fine,” He Changkong placed the box in his hand and said, “I’ll go freshen up first.”

He Changkong entered the bathroom, and as soon as he heard the sound of water, Shen Yanming pulled Fish over and asked in detail, “What’s going on? How come you came with Kong ge?”

Feeling all wet, Fish didn’t feel comfortable sitting down, so he leaned against the table and explained to Shen Yanming, “After we left the venue, Pudding ge said he wanted to have some late-night snacks. There’s a delicious fried chicken place nearby. Well, even though it’s raining heavily, who can resist the temptation of fried chicken? So we went over. Then I mentioned that Luanzi ge’s hotel seems to be here, and Kong ge asked if I had made plans to go to the internet cafe with you, and if so, to bring him along.”

Shen Yanming said, “So that’s how it is…”

Fish paused for a moment and continued, “And then you said you weren’t going, right? But Kong said it seems like it’s almost your birthday, and he said since we’re nearby, he suggested buying a cake and bringing it up for you.”

After saying that, Fish pointed to the small box that Kong had placed on the table earlier, and inside the box was a cake lying quietly.

Shen Yanming hadn’t expected this. It was almost midnight, and he was about to become an adult. He expected to receive birthday wishes from many friends and family, but he never expected Kong to bring him a cake.

Shen Yanming asked, “Um, how did Kong know it’s my birthday?”

“I don’t know. You can ask him yourself. Maybe he saw the information on your social media profiles,” Fish replied. “Seems like it’s some kind of tiramisu flavor. We actually didn’t know what flavor to buy, but he mentioned that you posted about tiramisu-flavored snacks on Weibo, so he thought you’d like this.”

For a moment, Shen Yanming couldn’t find words to say.

His mind was filled with thoughts of how kind Kong was…

Fish laughed again. “But you’re really something. You just turned eighteen, right? You weren’t planning on celebrating your birthday at the internet cafe with me, were you? Hahaha.”

The two of them chatted about a few other things, and while they were talking, the sound of water in the bathroom stopped. After all, it didn’t take much time to take a quick shower, and He Changkong came out of the bathroom.

Shen Yanming looked in He Changkong’s direction, and in an instant, all the complex and indescribable emotions from before faded. Right now, all he wanted to ask was, “Damn it, how does this guy have such a great physique?”

Usually, when Shen Yanming sees He Changkong, he is wearing their team uniform, so it’s hard to notice anything. But now, he saw him with a loosely wrapped towel around his waist, revealing his well-defined muscles that look powerful yet not exaggerated, and the faintly visible V-line.

Shen Yanming felt sour, as if his eyes could drip lemon juice.

He subconsciously pinched his own waist, realizing that although he didn’t have a little belly, it was indeed soft. It was really frustrating how people compared themselves. Let’s forget about everything else… How could gamers who sit in front of the computer all day have abs!

Shen Yanming looks up, and his gaze coincidentally meets He Changkong’s eyes. Suddenly, he feels awkward.

Sigh, it’s really strange to keep staring at someone’s abs.

Although they often run around shirtless in the school dormitory, after all, they are all guys, so what’s there to be afraid of? They even go to the bathroom together during breaks.

As he thinks about it, Shen Yanming quickly averts his gaze from He Changkong and awkwardly stares at the white wall beside him, as if trying to bore a hole into it.

He Changkong, on the other hand, remains composed. He thanks Shen Yanming and then says to Fish, “You should go freshen up too. After that, we’ll wash and dry our clothes.”

Once Fish enters the bathroom, the atmosphere becomes a bit tense. He Changkong is naturally not very talkative, while Shen Yanming is usually quite eloquent. Unfortunately, there comes a day when people meet their nemesis, and every time in front of Kong, Shen Yanming feels as if he’s lost his ability to speak.

Shen Yanming sits upright on the edge of the bed, with a stiff posture like a primary school student, while He Changkong sits on the sofa opposite him, not exactly relaxed but seemingly more normal compared to Shen Yanming.

He Changkong senses Shen Yanming’s uneasiness and attempts to lighten the mood. “How about we interact the way we used to before you knew I was Kong? Give it a try?”

Shen Yanming wondered, how could I try that? After hesitating for a while, he makes a mosquito-like sound and says, “…Wife?”

He Changkong chuckles softly.

Shen Yanming hadn’t seen He Changkong laugh much, and at this moment, it felt somewhat novel. The bit of embarrassment that had just emerged was dispelled by that smile.

Even though they were both guys, Shen Yanming can’t help but admit that a handsome guy’s smile is pleasing to the eye. Those promotional posters shouldn’t have portrayed He Changkong as cool and sharp; they should have captured him smiling. Many girls would probably go crazy over him.

But after this fleeting thought, Shen Yanming and He Changkong once again fall into an awkward silence.

Clutching the bedsheet, Shen Yanming decides to clarify what was left unsaid earlier. He hesitates for a moment and asks, “Actually, what exactly happened earlier? Why did you suddenly come to my livestream room…”

Shen Yanming doesn’t finish his sentence, but He Changkong understands what he wants to ask. Indeed, if he puts himself in Shen Yanming’s shoes, his actions must have been quite abrupt, and it might have startled the kid.

He Changkong didn’t hide anything and explained everything in detail.

After the game ended tonight, not only did the people at XXL think Shen Yanming had great potential, but TMM’s coach also mentioned this streamer named Luan luanzi to He Changkong.

Initially, Coach Afeng said, “This little streamer had a bit of a rough start, too aggressive. But it might be related to being watched by so many people for the first time while playing a match. After all, sometimes in a competition, it’s not just about skills but also about mentality… However, his performance in the second half was impressive. No wonder you admired him so much.”

He Changkong rarely disagrees with the coach’s opinion. “He didn’t have any issues in the first half either. He was just like that when he played with me. I could keep up with him. If I had played in that match just now, what he did wouldn’t be considered a mistake.”

Coach Afeng raises an eyebrow. “Why wouldn’t it be a mistake? It’s important to adapt strategies according to different teammates. Don’t you understand that? He can play like that with you, but in that match, his teammate was little Yu4Yuzi: “小鱼”(Xiǎo yú), nickname for fish, yú is translated as Fish.”

He Changkong’s expression becomes complicated. “He thought Fish was me.”

After explaining for a while, Coach Afeng understands and says, “Alright then, if you have the time, you can ask him if he’s willing to come to our team. We can skip the review process and let him join directly.”

He Changkong nods. “Hmm.”

However, as soon as they set off to have supper together, rumors about Shen Yanming going to XXL start circulating within the professional circle.

Others may not know, but He Changkong, aware of Shen Yanming’s good relationship with Zhang Xixi, had already suspected that Shen Yanming was going to join XXL.

So, when Coach Afeng asked him, He Changkong voiced his speculation, “I think it’s highly likely that Luan luanzi will go there.”

Initially, Afeng wasn’t too concerned about whether Shen Yanming would join their team. However, his attitude changed after hearing that the other party might go to XXL.

Indeed, TMM is not currently short of players, but having a promising talent in their ranks means having a reserve force. If he goes to another team, he could become a formidable opponent in the future, causing headaches for TMM.

Thmus, Coach Afeng urges, “You better ask him quickly. Even if he intends to join XXL, he definitely hasn’t gone through the proper procedures yet.”

At that time, they were all in a private room at the fried chicken restaurant. Meng Yan happened to be watching Shen Yanming’s livestream on a whim. “Your little friend is livestreaming. His fans are asking him to join our team. He says he’s not worthy. You should act fast and seize this opportunity to recruit him.”

He Changkong recounts the whole story, and Shen Yanming can’t help but feel amused and exasperated. “I never had any intention of joining XXL. Their team manager did ask me, but I declined… I don’t know who’s been blabbering about it.”

He Changkong asks, “Why don’t you want to go?”

Shen Yanming answers matter-of-factly, “I’m just not interested.”

He Changkong looks into his eyes and asks, “Do you really have no desire to play professionally at all?”

If it were anyone else asking him, he would casually say he’s not interested. But faced with He Changkong’s serious gaze, he can’t deny it, “It’s not that I don’t want to…”

He Changkong says, “Is it because you think if you come to TMM, you won’t be able to secure a starting spot, so you’re unwilling?”

“Of course not.”

Shen Yanming couldn’t say it. He couldn’t say that he was reborn, that he had played professionally in his previous life, that he had experienced the despair of not being able to reach his goals no matter how hard he tried, that he had been stabbed in the back by his brothers, and that he had been pushed to the bottom despite treating others with the utmost kindness but receiving the greatest malice in return.

In his previous life, although he had never won a championship trophy, Shen Yanming had never given up. He thought he could still play for a few more years. What if he achieved good results?

But fate didn’t give him that chance. He bid farewell to his professional career directly.

The reason he was stripped of his player status was due to a fight he had initiated.

He fight with a player named Moonlight from the TR team.

He did get into a real fight, but it wasn’t because he acted arrogantly and disliked the other party.

He explained the reason, and if the reason was valid, he would have been completely justified, perhaps still facing some punishment, but not getting expelled from the team.

However, there were no surveillance cameras where the fight took place, and afterward, everyone who could have testified for him turned against him.

Furthermore, Moonlight wore thin-framed glasses, appeared gentle and spoke softly. He put on a victim act, and if Shen Yanming hadn’t been involved, he might have believed his lies.

Adding to that, the incident caused a big commotion online. The CTG management didn’t initially want to let go of a core member like him, but in the end, they succumbed to public pressure and terminated his contract.

Even though everything started anew, Shen Yanming still couldn’t let go of his grievances.

But he couldn’t tell He Changkong any of this.

Shen Yanming bit his lower lip as if making a decision. After a while, he spoke again, “Let me think about it…”

Shen Yanming’s face didn’t show much change, but He Changkong could still sense his sadness. He wanted to pat Shen Yanming’s head, but he felt it would be too sudden, so he refrained and simply said, “Take your time to think. Whenever you’re ready, just come.”

“Be my exclusive healer?” Shen Yanming’s saddened state didn’t last long. Soon, he was back to his usual self. However, he felt a bit embarrassed asking this question, so he spoke in a small voice.

He had been curious about that statement since he saw it in the livestream chat, and He Changkong didn’t explain it when he recounted the story earlier.

He Changkong, too, seemed uneasy and took a while to speak, as if organizing his words.

Just then, Fish finished showering and heard them discussing the idea of an exclusive healer. He chimed in, “Ah, that line was taught by Yan ge. He’s the master of clichés. Luanzi ge, let me imitate how Yan ge said it back then.”

Shen Yanming: “…”

He Changkong: “…”

Fish tossed his dirty clothes into the washing machine and began his performance, coughing, “‘Kong jiang, listen to me. When your little friend and Yuzi aren’t cooperating well, it’s the perfect time to make your move. Tell him you want to be his exclusive healer, and he’ll be completely captivated by you. He won’t be able to live without you for the rest of his life’… Hahaha, damn it, it sounds like you’re pursuing a romantic partner…”

“Oh, so it was just a joke to fool me,” Shen Yanming exaggeratedly made a crying face. “Return my touched emotions…”

With Fish’s explanation, Shen Yanming understood. He Changkong usually acted seriously in both his words and actions. When he said that, Shen Yanming didn’t let his mind wander and didn’t realize it was just a joke.

But if it was just a joke, it made sense.

However, if it was just a joke… as Meng Yan said, leaving aside other considerations, when Shen Yanming read that line, he was indeed shocked and delighted, feeling so happy that he could burst with bubbles. Now that it was revealed as a joke, he couldn’t help but feel a little disappointed.

However, Shen Yanming has always been a drama queen. Although he had been a bit reserved before, after sitting face to face and chatting with He Changkong for a while, and with Fish enthusiastically performing in front of him, Shen Yanming no longer felt as reserved. He couldn’t fall behind and retorted, “All this talk about being an exclusive healer is fake. I can only be a spare tire and drink the leftover milk from Nightmare.”

Fish walked over and sat next to Shen Yanming, leaning on his shoulder, “Don’t worry, bro. I can also be your exclusive healer. But you’re too fierce, I don’t think I can handle it. Let Kong ge do it.”

Shen Yanming pushed him away. “Get lost.”

Surprisingly, He Changkong actually chimed in, “It’s not just to trick you. If you join, Meng Yan can switch to the mage position. He was originally a mage…”

He Changkong said this seriously, not like a joke. But now Shen Yanming couldn’t really tell which of He Changkong’s words were serious and which were jokes because even when he called him Luan Luanzi he still had a serious expression.

Shen Yanming didn’t know what else to say, so he asked, “If Nightmare plays the mage position, what about Lan?”

He Changkong didn’t answer that question. He stood up and went to fetch his phone that he had put aside earlier. He checked the time. “It’s almost midnight.”

Fish also stood up from beside Shen Yanming and brought over the cake they had bought, placing it on the small table. They opened it, and the aroma of tiramisu filled the room.

Fish then put the little crown that came from the cake shop on Shen Yanming’s head: “Oh, little prince.”

As he spoke, he stood opposite Shen Yanming, next to He Changkong.

Shen Yanming found it quite amusing. He never expected that he would celebrate his 18th birthday with two shirtless nannies, one with a round belly like Nezha and the other with well-defined abs that could be featured in a magazine. Standing together, their visual impact was particularly strong.

Fish was very enthusiastic. “Come on, let’s light the candles, turn off the lights, and sing happy birthday.”

Shen Yanming clasped his hands together. “Thank you, brothers.”

After a simple little ceremony, Shen Yanming took out his phone to take photos and replied to some messages. Some close friends wished him a happy birthday, and his parents sent him red envelopes.

After handling the messages, he posted the photos on Weibo and his Moments.

Although his Weibo was definitely full of controversy now, since his idol celebrated his birthday with him, he wanted to commemorate it.

After posting the photos, Shen Yanming instructed the two across from him, “Remember to like my Moments post!”

Fish immediately opened Shen Yanming’s Moments and gave it a like, while He Changkong seemed to have something on his mind but couldn’t bring himself to speak.

Shen Yanming suddenly realized that they hadn’t even added each other as friends.

It’s not too late to add now, Shen Yanming thought. He opened the QR code on his name card and handed it to He Changkong. “Kong ge, scan this.”

Fish didn’t know about their previous misunderstanding and was surprised to see them only adding each other as friends now. “I thought you guys knew each other for a long time.”

He Changkong replied, “You’re willing to let me add you now?”

Shen Yanming knew that He Changkong must have misunderstood. He explained the situation with the blocked words in the game and then countered, “Haven’t you ever added anyone before? Every time I add someone, it’s like giving a secret code.”

He Changkong scanned the QR code while saying, “I never asked for anyone’s contact information before.”

Shen Yanming exclaimed, “Ah!”

After He Changkong finished scanning the code, he saw the profile page that popped up. “Big Bird Shen?”

Shen Yanming exclaimed, “!!!”

Panicking, Shen Yanming quickly opened the nickname change page while shouting, “Hold on, don’t add me yet. That’s not me.”

He deleted the three characters “Big Bird Shen” from the nickname field but couldn’t think of a good alternative. He quickly opened the browser and searched for “elegant and meaningful online nicknames.”

Without much thought, he copied a random name.

When He Changkong scanned again, he saw that Shen Yanming’s WeChat nickname had changed to “ゞ夜色乄朦胧ぁ.”

He Changkong commented, “…” No need for that.

Shen Yanming carefully looked at the name and realized it did seem a bit unconventional. He scratched his head and said, “Should I change it again?”

Helplessly, He Changkong said, “Let me add you first.”

After going through numerous hardships, Kong finally added “Hazy Night”5Hazy Night: ゞ夜色乄朦胧ぁ, detailed explanation in translator’s note as a friend.

Shen Yanming changed his nickname on the spot because he didn’t want He Changkong to see his vulgar side (even though he already did). However, Fish, who was clueless about the situation, just had to ask, “Why was your WeChat name ‘Big Bird Shen’ before?”

Shen Yanming’s face turned red. “That’s my real name…”

Fish laughed uncontrollably. “Your real name is Shen Da Niao? How did your parents come up with that name? Hahaha.”

“…Let me finish my sentence. My name has the character ‘yan’ in it, and ‘yan’6yan: in 沈雁鸣 the 雁 (Yàn) means wild-goose means big bird, right?” Shen Yanming muttered. “I don’t see any problem with that.”

Fish couldn’t stop laughing and said, “It’s a wild big goose.”

Shen Yanming replied, “Yes, yes, it specifically pecks at fish like you.”

He Changkong liked Shen Yanming’s Moments post and earnestly said, “Happy birthday, Luan luanzi.”

Shen Yanming replied, “Thank you, Kong Kongzi.”

Damn, what kind of messed-up nickname is that!

He Changkong and Fish didn’t stay too late. They shared the cake and left once their clothes were dry. They didn’t have a match the next day, but they still needed to go back for training.

Before leaving, He Changkong asked Shen Yanming when he would return. Shen Yanming said he would leave once he woke up.

“Too bad, if you didn’t leave so early,, I wanted you to see something with your own eyes… But it doesn’t matter, you can see it later,” He Changkong thought for a moment and added, “Next time when the weather is good, come over again. I’ll take you around.”

If Meng Yan heard this, his jaw would definitely drop—He Changkong was a homebody, yet he wanted to take someone out?

Shen Yanming nodded.

After seeing them off, Shen Yanming played with his phone for a while and scrolled through Weibo.

He was currently a hot topic, and his posted Weibo quickly gathered many comments.

Of course, most of the comments were birthday wishes. Some asked about the follow-up in the livestream room, while others were still immersed in the excitement of the afternoon match, analyzing the game. There were also some new fans asking Shen Yanming to post more selfies.

Shen Yanming looked through the comments and chose a few to reply to.

Not long after, he came across a new top comment that caught his attention.

– Damn, I was just bored, so I adjusted the brightness of this picture. Take a look at what’s behind the cake! [Image]

– !!! A man’s abs.

– Holy crap, no kidding. Even though the image is blurry, you can still tell that this person has an amazing physique.

– What??? What are you doing Luan Luanzi?

– It can’t be Luanzi ge’s selfie, right?

– That’s impossible. The angle is wrong.

– What? How come there’s a shirtless man? Is Luanzi ge gay?

…

Shen Yanming felt a headache coming on from reading these comments. Why do these netizens have such wild imaginations?

He felt compelled to reply to that comment: A friend celebrated my birthday…

Upon hearing his explanation, some netizens were still persistent, while others thought it wasn’t a big deal.

– Why would a friend celebrate a birthday by taking off their clothes? =0= Upon closer look, it seems like they’re wrapped in a towel.

– Well, it’s normal, don’t guys often go shirtless when they’re at home? The weather is so hot right now.

– The weather is hot in your dreams. It’s raining so heavily here that I don’t even need to turn on the air conditioner.

– By the way, isn’t there a typhoon warning in Haicheng? Luan Luanzi, stay safe~

– They might be friends who shared a hotel room. If something actually happened, they wouldn’t have posted it. You guys are really good at coming up with x-rated thoughts.

– Whatever, happy birthday, Luanzi ge. Go for it!

– Those abs, who’s the friend? Luanzi ge, introduce them. [/wink]

Of course, Shen Yanming wouldn’t reveal who celebrated his birthday, as it would cause trouble for He Changkong and the others.

He didn’t plan to say anything, but unexpectedly, He Changkong himself commented on the question about which friend it was.

_kong: It’s me.

He also included a link to an abs workout tutorial.

Initially, the netizens were just teasing, and no one thought that having a half-naked man in the room was a big deal. But once Kong replied, the situation changed.

Just earlier, Kong was smashing cat beds in Luanzi ge’s livestream room! He even said he wanted to be Luanzi ge’s exclusive healer!

This revelation shocked the netizens, and suddenly, the fact that these two were celebrating a birthday together in the same room became a hot topic!

Shen Yanming was also taken aback and quickly messaged He Changkong privately.

[Hazy Night]: These netizens have wild imaginations! Well, it doesn’t matter. I’ll post the photo of me and Yuzi from earlier.

[Hazy Night]: It’s clearly a picture with three people, so Yuzi shouldn’t be left nameless.

[Hazy Night]: Hahaha, I even played with his belly, it was fun. It makes a sound when you tap it.

[kong_]: …When did you take a photo with him?

[Hazy Night]: When you went to the corridor to take a phone call.

[kong_]: Okay.

Shen Yanming didn’t think there was anything wrong, unaware that He Changkong’s mood had suddenly changed.

He Changkong thought, making friends is really difficult, especially when it comes to Shen Yanming. It was truly challenging.

Shen Yanming was truly difficult to understand.

Although he was the one who met Shen Yanming first, they weren’t as close as he had expected. On the other hand, Fish had only known Shen Yanming for less than twelve hours, but Shen Yanming was already giving him a nickname, playing with his belly, and taking photos with him.

He Changkong didn’t want to dwell on this matter any longer and changed the topic.

[kong_]: The meteorological bureau just issued a typhoon warning. Will your flight be able to take off?

[Hazy Night]: I haven’t received any notification yet =.=

[kong_]: If you can’t go back tomorrow, I’ll come find you and show you something.

Author’s Note:

Kong: Why don’t you touch my abs @_@

Kong is really trying hard to be a good friend with Luan luanzi!

Translator’s Note:

Hazy Night: ゞ夜色乄朦胧ぁ

Meaning breakdown:

1. ゞ: This is a small kana character called “guzo” or “dakuten.” It is used in Japanese writing to indicate a voicing mark, which modifies the pronunciation of certain consonants.

2. “夜色” (yè sè) means “night color”

3. “乄朦胧” (wū méng lóng) describes a state of haziness, vagueness, or indistinctness.

4. ぁ: This is a small hiragana character called “a.” It is used in Japanese writing to represent the sound “a” but in a small and slightly elongated form.

So, from those characters breakdowns, I feel like the most fitting translation would be hazy night.

Thank you for reading! 

Hope you enjoy the rest of your day

If you like reading my translations, do consider supporting me with ko-fi

1companion player: someone who is hired to help other players improve their rankings in competitive games2fishfishfish: “鱼鱼鱼” (Yú yú yú)3Big Bird Shen: “沈大鸟” (Shěn dà niǎo), da translate to big and niao is bird4Yuzi: “小鱼”(Xiǎo yú), nickname for fish, yú is translated as Fish5Hazy Night: ゞ夜色乄朦胧ぁ, detailed explanation in translator’s note 6yan: in 沈雁鸣 the 雁 (Yàn) means wild-goose