SMS CHAPTER 16

[Today’s Hot Topic on the Forum] [Breaking News]: Who hasn’t watched today’s livestream replay of KYM’s new AD player, Zhen Ning? The amount of information is insane!!!

Ever since KYM’s first match in the Spring Split, I’ve been really curious about their new omega player. As we all know, omegas in the esports scene are incredibly rare, and it’s even rarer for one to play the AD position. Unfortunately, since he’s new, there hasn’t been much material available to learn more about him.

This afternoon, while aimlessly browsing the livestream section, I stumbled upon a streamer with the ID “KYM-Neither.” The stream had a blank title and a default thumbnail. At first, I thought it was just some low-effort fake account.

But on a whim, I clicked in—and immediately recognized the familiar KYM base in the background. It was actually the real Neither! And sitting beside him was none other than our ever-enthusiastic jungler, Tao Luo.

At first, everything seemed normal. Tao Luo was explaining how to use various peripherals to Zhen Ning, the new AD. However, the microphone’s audio quality was atrocious, with deafening pops every now and then. In short, the whole scene was a chaotic mess—but it was already entertaining enough.

When Tao Luo left to fetch a new microphone, Zhen Ning started queuing for ranked matches.

I’d heard before that the new AD used to play on NA servers, so he was probably using a Chinese server account issued by the club. Anyway, his queue time dragged on endlessly.

It was immediately apparent that this new AD was inexperienced with streaming. He didn’t think to put on BGM or interact with viewers in real time.

Once Tao Luo left, Zhen Ning didn’t say a word. He just sat there quietly, staring into space, barely even glancing at the camera. Maybe he’s just naturally a quiet and aloof person?

And then—the first major highlight of the livestream happened.

This omega had been waiting so quietly that I started feeling a bit drowsy myself. I glanced down at my phone for a moment, but when I looked up again, I realized—

The new AD… had fallen asleep.

As someone who’s been watching livestreams for years, I can easily tell when a streamer is acting or being genuine. And I’m absolutely certain this wasn’t staged—he genuinely fell asleep.

The audience wasn’t even bored yet, but he had already dozed off.

And he was sleeping soundly 🚬

He didn’t even wake up when he matched with teammates, and the match room automatically disbanded.

By the way, this omega’s sleeping face is actually pretty good-looking. (Just to clarify, I’m a female beta with an A/B sexual orientation—definitely not a pervert. I’m just objectively commenting on the new AD’s looks.)

But the fact is, he slept for a solid twenty… minutes.

Twenty. Minutes.

I thought that would be the peak of the show. But then—the second highlight happened.

Yan Chengfeng, our dear Chef captain, suddenly appeared at the training room door.

Now, keep in mind: at this moment, Tao Luo was still out looking for the microphone, Zhen Ning was fast asleep, and Head Chef had just arrived—completely unaware that Zhen Ning was streaming.

What happened next was packed with information.

Every single detail is worth analyzing. I won’t say much more, because words won’t do it justice. Just watch the video, everyone—

[Video Link]

[Top Comment 1]: I watched this three times to make sure I wasn’t dreaming. Chef actually covered the new AD with a jacket?? Chef?? Yan Chengfeng?? Did you grow up???

[Top Comment 2]: Is this the same Yan Chengfeng who, just last year, trash-talked an omega player so badly in ranked that they rage quit? The top-tier toxic straight alpha cancer, the guy who’s held the title of “Biggest Trash Talker” for three years in a row on forum polls? And now he’s covering a new omega with a jacket—with such a complicated look, such gentle movements?

[Top Comment 3]: First, let’s get one thing straight. Last year, Chef wasn’t trash-talking the omega’s skill—he was mad at a teammate for being too passive early in the game. It just so happened that the teammate was an omega. Getting the timeline right is important… That said, I can’t deny that Yan Chengfeng is a straight alpha cancer, and after watching this video, my jaw pretty much hit the floor.

[Top Comment 4]: And even if he covered him with the jacket, why did he act like he didn’t when Tao Luo showed up? We all know Head Chef is unbelievably stubborn when it comes to his words, but why do I feel like there’s more to the story between him and this new AD???

[Top Comment 5]: Oh, for crying out loud, enough already. What’s the big deal about Yan Chengfeng being kind enough to put a jacket over a new teammate? The guy’s just a substitute, and they’ve only played one game together. How could there be anything more to it? How do some people manage to ship literally everything? Isn’t it disgusting?

[Top Comment 6]: Although, to be fair, the one who actually covered him with the jacket was Yan Chengfeng. We outsiders don’t know their relationship, but to go that far… at the very least, Lei Tao never got that kind of treatment in all these years. This shows the new AD definitely holds a special place in Head Chef’s heart—maybe because he’s good at the game and earned Chef’s approval. Anyway, I’m jumping on this ship. Heh!

At this moment, in the KYM training room, the three of them exchanged glances. The air seemed calm, but beneath the surface, there was a clear undercurrent of tension.

In the end, Tao Luo was the first to react, quickly turning off the livestream. Once the screen cut to black, Zhen Ning stirred awake from the movement. His eyes, still heavy with sleep, carried a lingering drowsiness.

But at that moment, Yan Chengfeng was on the verge of losing it.

Since joining the team three years ago, Yan Chengfeng had always been at the center of attention, and he knew exactly how incidents like this would spiral out of control.

Normally, he didn’t care about what the audience had to say. But today was different. Because what he cared about—was what Zhen Ning thought of him.

Yan Chengfeng couldn’t believe it. “Why did you stream? Why in the afternoon? And how did you even fall asleep in the middle of it?”

Zhen Ning paused for a moment as if just realizing that he had been livestreaming.

He turned his head toward the now blacked-out computer screen, finally understanding what had happened. After a brief silence, he said, “I streamed because I signed a streaming contract. The afternoon stream was to meet the required hours, so I thought I’d give it a try.”

Tao Luo weakly interjected, “I was just nearby, so I helped him a bit.”

Yan Chengfeng: “I didn’t ask you.”

Tao Luo huffed in frustration and went to sit down, scrolling through her phone.

Zhen Ning remained quiet for a moment.

“As for falling asleep, I couldn’t get into a match for a long time, and I was so tired from waiting that I ended up dozing off without realizing it,” he said. “Is there a problem?”

Yan Chengfeng was so angry he actually laughed.

“No problem. No problem at all,” he said through gritted teeth.

Tao Luo, still scrolling through the forum, occasionally glanced up to gauge the expressions on Yan Chengfeng and Zhen Ning’s faces.

When she saw the hot topics on the forum’s homepage, her eyes widened. She immediately glanced at the jacket draped over Zhen Ning’s shoulders, then at Yan Chengfeng, whose expression was extremely sour. At that moment, she finally understood why he was reacting so strongly.

Yan Chengfeng suddenly felt uneasy. He knew Tao Luo had probably already seen the discussion posts online.

Taking a deep breath, he turned to Zhen Ning. “Let’s talk outside.”

Once again, they found themselves standing in the familiar corridor.

Yan Chengfeng knew that instead of letting Zhen Ning discover everything on his own, it was better to be upfront. That way, he could have some control over the situation. So he said, “Sometimes, small incidents during a livestream can be blown out of proportion by forum users, but what they discuss doesn’t always reflect reality.”

Zhen Ning quietly stared at Yan Chengfeng’s face.

It was clear that he didn’t fully grasp what Yan Chengfeng was getting at. Seeing this, Yan Chengfeng took another deep breath.

He decided to lay everything out on the table.

“When you fell asleep earlier, didn’t you lie down?”

Yan Chengfeng motioned toward his collar, his Adam’s apple moving slightly. “Your… your nape was a bit too exposed, and since you’re an omega now, and Tao Luo, Xu Hao, and other alphas might come into the training room, I covered you with a jacket—just to block it a bit.”

“I feel it’s necessary to clarify that I did this out of consideration for team dynamics and potential concerns,” he quickly added.

Zhen Ning silently processed this for a moment, then tilted his head slightly, looking at the jacket on his shoulder. After a while, he let out a quiet “Ah.”

Then he said, “But I don’t remember asking you anything. So why did you bring me out here to explain all this?”

Yan Chengfeng: “……”

“Because I didn’t expect you to be livestreaming,” Yan Chengfeng said irritably. “That scene was seen by the viewers, and it’s bound to be misinterpreted and blown out of proportion. I just didn’t want you to see what they’re saying online and start overthinking, so I thought I’d let you know in advance.”

He paused for a moment, then stiffly added, “Anyway, I don’t care if they misunderstand me, but you should at least know that I—”

Zhen Ning cut him off. “I understand.”

Yan Chengfeng: “…What?”

Zhen Ning sighed.

“We’re now just the purest of teammates. Everything you did was purely for the team’s future harmony and peaceful coexistence, with no other feelings involved. As for the comments from some viewers, they’re just misunderstandings based on what they saw during the livestream,” Zhen Ning said. “Is that correct?”

Yan Chengfeng was stunned.

He hesitated before saying, “That’s right…”

Zhen Ning spoke so clearly and calmly, it was as if he already knew exactly what Yan Chengfeng was going to say. In fact, his words were even more precise than the version Yan Chengfeng had in mind.

But for some reason, hearing those words come from Zhen Ning’s mouth made him feel strangely uneasy.

“Okay.” Zhen Ning nodded. “Can I go now?”

Yan Chengfeng hadn’t expected the matter to be resolved so smoothly. He froze for a moment, then almost instinctively asked, “Where are you going?”

Zhen Ning sighed softly.

“Tao Luo said she was going to teach me some livestreaming tips.”

Thinking Yan Chengfeng was still worried, he added, “Of course, you can rest assured. From now on, when I stream, I’ll make sure not to fall asleep randomly, and I won’t cause any more trouble for you or Tao Luo.”

Yan Chengfeng choked on his words. After a brief pause, he irritably said, “I didn’t say you were causing trouble, it’s just…”

The feeling of being so clearly distanced was strange.

Although these were the things he had wanted to say, Zhen Ning had said them first. It left him with an odd, indescribable feeling—somewhat bitter, somewhat complicated. In short, it was something he had never experienced before.

Just as he was about to speak, Zhen Ning suddenly said, “By the way.”

He took off the jacket draped over his shoulders and held it in his hands. After a long moment, he looked up and held it out toward Yan Chengfeng. “I know you didn’t mean anything else by it,” he said. “But I still want to thank you for the jacket.”

Yan Chengfeng’s pupils contracted slightly as he looked at Zhen Ning’s face in disbelief.

“I haven’t trained with so many people in a long time. Living as an omega among so many alphas is a lot more complicated than I expected.”

Zhen Ning spoke lightly. “Most of the time, I try to maintain my distance when interacting with others, but I didn’t expect to slip up unintentionally.”

“So, anyway, thank you,” he said.

From the moment they reunited, they had been at odds for far too long.

Whenever he faced Zhen Ning, Yan Chengfeng was always tense and flustered, unwilling to appear weak in front of him.

But now, Zhen Ning’s sudden soft words—the simple and sincere “thank you”—caught him completely off guard.

How long had it been… since they had last spoken so nicely to each other?

Yan Chengfeng tried to keep his face neutral, but his breath lost its rhythm, and his mind was already in disarray.

Unable to suppress his inner turmoil, he turned his face away and hoarsely said, “…It was just a casual thing. There’s no need to say something like that.”

Zhen Ning nodded.

After a brief silence, he asked, “Can I go talk to Tao Luo—”

“No,” Yan Chengfeng interrupted almost instinctively.

Zhen Ning: “…”

“What I mean is… What livestreaming skills does Tao Luo even have? Her fanbase is over half a million smaller than mine. Her streams are just mindless, shouty shows.”

Yan Chengfeng paused awkwardly for a moment, then abruptly shifted the topic. “And you still remember the duo task that Joe arranged for us, right?”

“You said it yourself—four whole hours, completely under my control. Right?”

Zhen Ning hadn’t expected the conversation to take such a sudden turn. Caught off guard, he hesitated for a moment before responding, “I remember.”

Yan Chengfeng let out a quiet “hmm.”

“It’s a good time now, and I got plenty of rest this afternoon.”

Glancing out the window, he said casually, “So I… suddenly feel like playing a few ranked games.”

“Are you in?” he asked.

Zhen Ning froze.

Perhaps because he remained silent for too long, Yan Chengfeng started to feel like his thoughts were about to be exposed. Panicking slightly, he took a step back.

“Forget it. If you still want to learn how to stream from Tao Luo, go ahead.”

He paused for a moment, then added hoarsely, “If you want to play ranked with me, then follow me. In the end, it’s up to you. I won’t interfere.”

He said, “It’s up to you,” but after standing there, holding back for a while, he couldn’t help but continue. “I don’t mean anything by it. It’s just that my stream had the highest traffic and fanbase last year among all active players. Whether it’s chat interactions, donations, or memberships, I ranked in the top three on the entire platform. So if you want to learn about streaming techniques or skills, after we finish playing ranked… I wouldn’t mind teaching you.”

“Of course, if you still want to go to Tao Luo, I won’t stop you.”

Yan Chengfeng spoke casually, but he couldn’t help glancing at Zhen Ning’s expression. Then, as if trying to play it cool, he added nonchalantly, “Anyway… it’s your choice.”