Before confessing, Zhen Ning had anticipated that Yan Chengfeng would need some time to process everything. However, he hadn’t expected that, in the very next second, Yan Chengfeng would suddenly pull his hand away.
Without saying a word, Yan Chengfeng turned and walked quickly back into the base.
Zhen Ning, feeling a bit panicked, followed him.
They walked one after the other until they reached Yan Chengfeng’s dormitory.
Yan Chengfeng stood with his back to him and said, “…D-don’t come over.”
His voice was muffled, and his shoulders were shaking. Zhen Ning’s heart ached, realizing that Yan Chengfeng was crying.
Despite being someone who always valued his pride, Yan Chengfeng was now in tears, desperately trying to avoid being seen by the person he liked. Yet, his emotions were overwhelming, and he couldn’t control them.
Yan Chengfeng rarely cried. Even when they first made it to the World Championships last year, he had held back. To him, alphas didn’t cry easily—crying was a sign of weakness.
But Zhen Ning was his only vulnerability.
Yan Chengfeng was anxious, wanting the tears to stop, but the pain in his heart was too much. The more he tried to stop, the more the tears kept coming.
Until he felt someone hugging him from behind.
It was Zhen Ning.
Zhen Ning didn’t say a word; he just held Yan Chengfeng quietly, wrapping his arms around his waist, silently comforting him.
After a moment, Yan Chengfeng finally turned around.
His face was streaked with tears, his nose and eyes red, looking both pitiful and a little pathetic. Even though he couldn’t stop crying, the instant he saw Zhen Ning’s face, he angrily and fiercely kissed him.
Zhen Ning tasted a kiss filled with tears—hot, salty, and wet.
Yan Chengfeng kissed him with such intensity, as if pouring all his emotions into that kiss. After a while, he pulled back, gasping for air, but his tears continued to fall.
“…You lied to me,” Zhen Ning heard him cry. “I trusted you so much back then… Why didn’t I ask you more questions? Why did I just believe you?”
“Later, I went to eat at Ah-Jiang’s by myself. The server asked where you were, and I got so mad I smashed the bowl. I never went back after that. It’s all your fault—you made my membership card expire…”
Every word sounded like a complaint against Zhen Ning, but Zhen Ning knew that each one was Yan Chengfeng blaming himself.
Yan Chengfeng’s eyes were extremely red. “And when you came back, I said such horrible things to you and did those awful things. I was just—”
Zhen Ning knew Yan Chengfeng very well. He had a sharp tongue. Zhen Ning didn’t mind when he insulted others, but he didn’t like being the target himself.
Zhen Ning shook his head. “When I first came back and saw you like that… I was actually happy.”
Recalling his own childish retaliations and harsh words, Yan Chengfeng felt his scalp tingle. He couldn’t comprehend why Zhen Ning would feel happy.
Yan Chengfeng sniffed. “You…”
“If you had been able to face me calmly back then, without any bitterness, it would have meant you had moved on and that I had become just a passerby in your life.”
Zhen Ning raised his hand, gently wiping away the tears on the alpha’s face, and softly asked, “But you never forgot me, did you?”
Yan Chengfeng stared blankly at Zhen Ning. Then he wrapped his arms around Zhen Ning again, bowing his head and burying his face in Zhen Ning’s shoulder.
Whether it was resentment or longing, no matter when, Zhen Ning had always been the most important person in his heart.
Separation had been undoubtedly painful, but from the day they parted, both of them had worked hard to become better versions of themselves. Even without an agreement, they had both been waiting for the day they would meet again.
And now, they could finally walk forward together.
The Summer Split had reached the playoffs’ final match—the decisive grand final.
The Summer Split Finals were highly anticipated, not only because it was a battle for the championship title but also because the team that ranked first in points would advance directly to the World Championship group stage. The remaining teams would have to compete through more matches in the gauntlet for a spot.
ZC, with a substitute top laner, had managed a decent performance but still had to settle for second place in points. Once again, they faced off against KYM on the battlefield.
KYM’s bottom lane duo, who had just announced their relationship, naturally became the focus of everyone’s attention. However, the moment they stepped onto the stage, they made a decision that left everyone speechless.
“ZC seems well-prepared for this match, directly picking Huanlin to counter KYM’s signature Mianli strategy,” one commentator remarked. “Now, KYM has to reconsider their options… Wait, Chef still chose Mianli?”
Another commentator sounded frustrated. “Huanlin’s E skill can significantly limit Mianli’s roaming ability. KYM’s insistence on this pick is quite puzzling. It seems even ZC’s coach is baffled.”
“Wait.” The first commentator was stunned. “Why hasn’t Neither swapped heroes with Chef yet? And he’s taken Cleanse for Mianli? Could it be… that Neither is playing Mianli this game?!”
The other commentator quickly caught on. “KYM’s strategy… this role swap is incredibly bold.”
Role swapping is a strategy in professional matches used during the BP phase.
In this case, KYM selected Mianli, leading ZC to assume that Yan Chengfeng would be playing Mianli, thus choosing champions to counter his roaming support style.
But at the last moment, Yan Chengfeng picked Sunflower, revealing that Zhen Ning would play Mianli instead. In the AD position, Mianli wouldn’t need to roam, rendering the counter strategies ineffective.
This approach was designed to confuse the opponents, disrupt their drafting and in-game strategies, but it carried significant risk, especially since AD crit-based Mianli is far from a mainstream strategy.
The commentators were stunned, and the audience fell into deep thought.
“I’m using your best hero to play the most important match of the year—what could be more romantic than that?”
A commentator couldn’t help but chime in with a laugh, “But whether this move is brilliant or foolish, we’ll only find out in the game.”
The result was not only a win but a dominant, decisive victory.
Zhen Ning’s Mianli, though the same hero Yan Chengfeng excelled at, was played entirely differently.
Instead of bold dives and aggressive harassment in the laning phase, Zhen Ning played with calculated precision, balancing offense and defense to maximize output while maintaining perfect positioning.
Zhen Ning’s flawless execution covered Mianli’s weaknesses as an AD carry, showcasing the hero’s versatility and revealing the terrifying depth of his hero pool.
Of course, the entire KYM team performed exceptionally well. After a year of striving together, they shared a common belief: they had to win and face stronger opponents in the World Championship.
“This team has so much potential,” one commentator marveled. “Congratulations to KYM, and let’s look forward to their performance in the World Championship!”
KYM secured the Summer Split championship without suspense, earning the first ticket to the World Championship.
After the match, both KYM and ZC were interviewed, and they ran into each other again in the hallway. The atmosphere among the ZC members was tense, and they all walked forward with their heads down.
Xiong Hao didn’t even notice them. He was on the phone, looking irritated, clearly burdened by the repercussions of ZC’s defeat today.
Yan Chengfeng’s face was dark, but Zhen Ning remained calm. He grabbed Yan Chengfeng’s arm and shook his head.
At the back of the ZC team, Zhang Shao approached Zhen Ning.
Zhang Shao said, “I want to talk to you alone.”
Zhang Shao had spent the entire Summer Split on the bench, largely absent from the public eye.
Yan Chengfeng hesitated, but Zhen Ning nodded at him, and Yan Chengfeng stiffly said, “I’ll wait for you by the lounge.”
Zhen Ning and Zhang Shao moved to a quiet corner.
“Actually, Xiong Hao mentioned your name to me a long time ago,” Zhang Shao began. “At that time, he was… coercing me into doing things I didn’t want to do, and he used you as an example.”
“His tone was… quite smug.”
“When I later saw you appear on the stage, I was surprised, and so was he,” Zhang Shao paused, then continued, “So, I think there are some things I now have the courage to say.”
Zhen Ning didn’t say much. He just nodded and said softly, “We’ll meet again on the battlefield.”
Zhang Shao was taken aback.
After a moment, he smiled at Zhen Ning, nodded, and turned away.
Following this interview, a scandal broke out about ZC’s management restricting the personal freedom of their players.
It was revealed that ZC’s management closely monitored public opinion, ran the players’ social media accounts, and strictly controlled their personal and private lives. Players who resisted faced verbal abuse and threats to their eligibility to play.
The manager of ZC was eventually dismissed, and the scandal stirred considerable controversy.
Later, during the transfer period, Zhang Shao joined a newly established domestic team and performed very well in his first year. But that’s a story for another time.
When Zhen Ning turned around, he saw Yan Chengfeng not far away, trying hard to eavesdrop by tilting his head. The moment their eyes met, Yan Chengfeng coughed nonchalantly.
Zhen Ning didn’t expose him.
“We’re going to America again,” Zhen Ning said. “How do you feel this time?”
Hearing “America,” Yan Chengfeng instinctively responded, “Even a dog wouldn’t want to go.”
Zhen Ning: “…”
“I’m kidding.”
Yan Chengfeng looked a bit sheepish. “Last time, I went there full of resentment. But now, my mindset is completely different. This time… I actually want to see the sights, to understand the place where you lived for three years.”
Zhen Ning nodded. “To be honest, the North American DSN base’s facilities and decor are a bit more luxurious and grand than ours.”
Yan Chengfeng: “…?”
Zhen Ning: “And Kong Xian said they’re planning to build a new sauna this year.”
Yan Chengfeng’s expression shifted repeatedly. “W-what do you mean? You’re not plotting something sneaky during the transfer period, are you? If you dare to abandon me again, I’ll—”
Zhen Ning couldn’t help but laugh, lowering his head.
Only then did Yan Chengfeng realize that he was being teased.
Zhen Ning’s eyes, brimming with laughter, were a rare sight. Yan Chengfeng stared in a daze for a moment before fiercely dragging him into the lounge. Lowering his head, he trailed kisses down Zhen Ning’s neck.
Although there was no one in the lounge, Zhen Ning hadn’t expected Yan Chengfeng to lose control in broad daylight.
The match might have been over, but this was still a semi-public space. There could be people in the hallway, and if anyone even casually glanced through the door crack…
Zhen Ning was left breathless from the kiss, his voice trembling as he stammered in disbelief, “Are you out of your mind? This is the lounge—Xu Minghe, Tao Luo, they’re—”
“They’re long gone.”
Seeing that Zhen Ning wasn’t responding to his kiss, Yan Chengfeng wasn’t pleased. “I told them we’d leave together later, so it’s just us here now.”
As they spoke, they retreated step by step until Zhen Ning’s lower back pressed against the wall.
Zhen Ning let out a soft gasp and struggled to speak. “There’s still the celebration party tonight…”
Yan Chengfeng kissed his face, grumbling reluctantly, “…I’ll try to restrain myself.”
That evening, KYM held a celebration banquet to commemorate their Summer Split victory. Li Feng invited some media contacts to his barbecue restaurant for skewers.
Some media attendees shared their impressions of the evening. The food was excellent, but unfortunately, Neither was absent due to illness, and Chef arrived a full half-hour late.
According to witnesses, Chef’s left cheek seemed slightly red, and the faint mark vaguely resembled… a handprint.
The media and outsiders were puzzled, but everyone at KYM tacitly avoided saying anything.
Only Carrot hesitated for a moment, then sighed and silently placed a generous portion of grilled kidneys on Chef’s plate.[mfn]kidneys are associated with replenishing vitality and stamina[/mfn]
