SMS CHAPTER 68

A year later, the entire KYM team was back in the United States.

Last year, Zhen Ning hadn’t been with them. Aside from Yan Chengfeng wearing a sour expression the entire time, the rest of the team had treated it like a carefree sightseeing trip.

It had been their first time at the World Championship, and reaching the semifinals in one go was already a huge achievement. Looking back now, it felt almost unbelievable.

This year, although the schedule and tournament format were similar to last year’s, the atmosphere within KYM was unusually tense.

The past year had been remarkably smooth. Everyone had grown significantly, and Zhen Ning’s addition had completely transformed their morale and confidence.

Because of this, they suddenly realized that this year, the seemingly impossible goal… didn’t feel so far away anymore.

During their first week in the US, everyone struggled with jet lag, determined to be in peak condition when the group stage began.

By the afternoon, they were so sleepy that they had to keep chatting while training just to stay awake.

“Is there a chance,” Tao Luo said with a yawn, “that if we’re lucky enough this year, we might make it to the finals? And if we’re really, really lucky, we could even—”

Everyone’s eyelids twitched. Xu Hao quickly covered her mouth. “Ancestor, if you have something to say, just think it to yourself! Don’t jinx us, I’m begging you—”

The World Championship officially began.

Unlike the domestic Summer Split, the group stage of the World Championship had a long and complex schedule. It wasn’t just a clash of players from different countries but also a battle of strategies. You could see all sorts of bizarre picks and lineups.

KYM steadily secured win after win in the group stage.

The Vietnamese team was purely for practice, and the Korean team’s rigid compositions made them relatively easy to counter. The matches grew progressively tougher, but KYM always managed to pull through unscathed.

Everyone gradually became aware that KYM’s only true obstacle was still North America’s DSN.

Online discussions about the tournament were, unsurprisingly, abundant. The World Championship was the most-watched event of the year. With KYM performing so well, fans couldn’t help but let their hopes soar.

“By the way… what if we actually get a championship skin this time? And can a Chinese team’s abbreviation appear in the recall effect at least once?”

“Ah, I think we shouldn’t expect too much. They already lost the previous friendly match TUT. Fam, let’s take it easy. Making it to the semifinals is already great, right? Reaching the finals would be even better. As long as they don’t get completely shut out, it’s not a failure.”

“Reminder: Every match DSN has played so far has either been a 3-0 sweep or a 3-1 blowout. Their strength is terrifying.”

After years of watching the World Championship, most fans felt that as long as KYM kept advancing steadily, it would be enough.

Then, a week later, KYM defeated Japan’s team in the semifinals with a 3-1 score, successfully advancing to the finals.

This was an unprecedented achievement for a Chinese team. The forums exploded with excitement. Li Feng and the team’s psychologist advised them to stay off their phones, emphasizing the importance of maintaining a calm mindset at such a critical juncture.

By this point, everyone was so exhausted they were running on sheer willpower, too drained to pay attention to the chaos online.

That same night, DSN faced off against Korea’s top seed in a high-stakes semifinals match, played in a BO5 format.

This match was crucial. It would determine whether KYM’s opponent in the finals would be the Korean team or DSN, the three-time consecutive champions. Although everyone already knew the likely outcome, they still flopped onto the couch to watch the match.

They had expected it to last at least three hours. To their surprise, just an hour and a half later, the BO5 was already wrapping up.

The semifinals were supposed to be a clash between the world’s top teams, yet the Korean team was toyed with by DSN as if they were nothing. DSN secured a brutal 3-0 sweep.

Tao Luo couldn’t help but burst out laughing. “Look at those Koreans’ faces! They’re greener than that avocado salad we had at lunch, hahaha…”

Xu Hao: “Jie,[mfn]big sister[/mfn] DSN advanced. That means in a week, we’ll be playing against them. The finals. The World Championship finals. Us and DSN.”

Tao Luo’s laughter froze.

Xu Hao stared at the screen, worrying alongside her. “I’m losing it. Frozen Yogurt’s top-lane playstyle is so slippery, it’s enough to drive anyone crazy.”

Xu Minghe shook his head. “The whole team is just too experienced. Their game sense and mechanics are so refined that their BP and strategies follow a near-perfect formula.”

The atmosphere grew heavy. Tao Luo scratched her head. “I-I’m gonna queue up for a few more ranked matches…”

Yan Chengfeng suddenly stood up. “I’m going to get some air.”

Zhen Ning paused.

Tao Luo watched him walk out the door and scratched her head. “That guy, Yan Kitchen… He’s probably feeling some type of way about facing Admire in the finals. People have spent the past two years constantly comparing the two of them.”

Zhen Ning said nothing.

Yan Chengfeng had always maintained a clear boundary between matches, training, and his personal life. His performance in practice over the past two days had been as steady as ever, but during downtime, Zhen Ning noticed him zoning out more often—staring blankly at nothing, lost in thought.

Zhen Ning was particularly attuned to changes in Yan Chengfeng’s emotions. Yet, whenever he asked what was wrong, Yan Chengfeng would snap out of it in a panic and say, “Huh? Nothing! What’s wrong with me?”

Such terrible acting.

Over the past two days, it had only gotten worse. Even during meals, Yan Chengfeng would suddenly space out, chopsticks in hand, staring at Zhen Ning’s face in a daze.

Zhen Ning took a deep breath. “Yan Chengfeng?”

“Ah, ah!” Yan Chengfeng stammered. “Oh, I… uh, this American burger is too hot! I was just waiting for it to cool down. I wasn’t zoning out.”

Zhen Ning: “…”

They had been staying in a hotel near the tournament venue for practice and meals. The burger had been delivered as takeout and was lukewarm at best when it arrived, so there was no way it had been “too hot.”

Zhen Ning said nothing and looked into his eyes calmly.

Yan Chengfeng coughed and tried to charm his way out. “Alright, fine, I was zoning out. I got distracted looking at your face—you’re just too good-looking.”

“Oh, by the way.” He suddenly seemed to remember something. “Can I bite your neck tonight? Just lightly, I promise. I won’t space out this time.”

Zhen Ning: “…?”

That night, Yan Chengfeng proved that when he focused on certain things, his efficiency could reach truly terrifying levels. The next morning, Zhen Ning stood in front of the mirror, applying a suppression patch and sweating from the pain.

But he knew that Yan Chengfeng was still hiding something.

Xu Minghe and Tao Luo had started another set of ranked games. After hesitating for a moment, Zhen Ning stood up and followed Yan Chengfeng out of the room.

Sure enough, Yan Chengfeng was standing by the window, staring blankly outside.

When he saw Zhen Ning approaching, he looked surprised. Just as he was about to say something, he heard Zhen Ning ask directly, “Is it because you’re worried about the finals? Or is it about Kong Xian?”

Yan Chengfeng looked utterly bewildered. “Huh?”

Zhen Ning took a deep breath. “Yan Chengfeng, I’m your partner. If there’s something you’re not even willing to share with me…”

He paused, his chest rising and falling slightly as he averted his gaze.

Yan Chengfeng looked even more confused. “What?”

Zhen Ning really didn’t want to see him continue playing dumb, so he turned around to leave.

Fortunately, Yan Chengfeng finally caught on. He immediately grabbed Zhen Ning’s wrist and leaned in with a grin. “Hey, why are you mad?”

Zhen Ning glared at him coldly.

Yan Chengfeng’s heart itched. Seeing Zhen Ning angry was rare enough, and knowing it was because he was worried about him made warmth rush through his chest.

“It’s not that I don’t want to tell you.” He hesitated before finally saying, “Alright, fine… wait here for a second.”

Yan Chengfeng went back into the room and returned holding something. It looked like a book, but before Zhen Ning could get a clear look, Yan Chengfeng hid it behind his back.

Then, he asked, “Can we go for a walk?”

The hotel they were staying at had a beautiful view of the sea, but with everyone so focused on preparing for the matches, no one had taken the time or been in the mood to enjoy it.

The beach was crowded with tourists. Yan Chengfeng frowned. “It’s too noisy here. Let’s go further.”

After walking for a while, they found a quieter spot, but Yan Chengfeng was still unsatisfied. “The lighting here is too dim. Let’s keep going.”

Zhen Ning noticed that Yan Chengfeng was unusually picky tonight. More than that, there was a faint sense of… nervousness about him that was hard to miss.

Eventually, they reached a large coconut tree decorated with string lights. The lighting was nice, and Yan Chengfeng finally stopped walking.

Just as Yan Chengfeng was about to speak, Zhen Ning beat him to it.

“In truth, your performance this year has already been outstanding,” Zhen Ning said. “Winning the World Championship is something the audience expects, but I know that for you, what you’ve always pursued is pushing yourself to your limits.”

Yan Chengfeng froze for a moment, looking both helpless and amused. “It’s really not what you think. It’s not about the match, I swear…”

“Regardless of whether it is or not,” Zhen Ning said softly, “I just want you to know that we’re partners. You can share your thoughts and feelings with me anytime, and I’ll always be here to listen.”

Yan Chengfeng stared at him, his breath hitching slightly.

He said seriously, “Alright.”

But the next second, he scratched his head. “It’s really not about the match, or Kong Xian, either.”

As if worried that Zhen Ning wouldn’t believe him, Yan Chengfeng added, “I’m serious. My mindset this year has been really calm. I feel like I’ve already played at my very best. If we lose in the end, I’ll accept it wholeheartedly.”

After a pause, he added, “Although, I don’t think we’ll lose.”

Noticing Zhen Ning’s expression, Yan Chengfeng coughed lightly. “Off-topic.”

“Actually, the reason I’ve been acting so off these past few days is that… I’m not good at keeping things to myself.”

He admitted honestly, “I was planning to give this to you after the match, but I can’t keep things bottled up. Once I start thinking about it, I get distracted.”

“I originally wanted to wait until after the finals,” he explained. “But the finals are a week away, and if we lose… it might ruin the mood for both of us. So now seems like a good time.”

Finally, he brought out the item he had been hiding behind his back and handed it to Zhen Ning.

Zhen Ning took it. “This is…?”

It was… a somewhat tattered photo album.

The album was thick and heavy, with a wrinkled cover that showed signs of being torn apart and carefully pieced back together with glue.

Yan Chengfeng: “This was originally meant to be your eighteenth birthday gift.”

“At the time, you left, so I didn’t get the chance to give it to you. I got so mad that I tore it to pieces.”

Looking a bit embarrassed, he added, “I tried to hold it in all afternoon, but I just couldn’t take it anymore. I felt bad, so I ended up digging the pieces out of the trash and gluing them back together. So… just make do with it, okay?”

Zhen Ning opened the album to its first page.

The thick album was filled with their memories.

Seventeen-year-old Yan Chengfeng had believed that the most wonderful thing in his life was playing games with Zhen Ning. For such an important milestone like an eighteenth birthday, he thought store-bought gifts were too generic. Instead, he preserved and printed records of all the significant matches they had played together, pasting them into this album.

The first time they used Velvet Willow and Mianli as a duo.

The first time Yan Chengfeng, playing as a healer, got a pentakill—his fifth kill fed to him by Zhen Ning flashing in to control the enemy jungler.

The first time Zhen Ning’s damage contribution exceeded 60%, leaving Yan Chengfeng so shocked his eyes nearly popped out.

The time they both tried experimental builds and ended with identical 0/8 stats, causing their teammates to curse their entire families, while Yan Chengfeng laughed uncontrollably and Zhen Ning sighed helplessly beside him.
…
The photo album was as silly as it could possibly be—kind of tacky, even a bit ridiculous.

It didn’t contain photos but rather records of in-game match stats. It was the kind of gift so painfully straight-A-cancer that it would get roasted with hundreds of comments if posted online.

Yet, as Zhen Ning flipped through it page by page, his lips curled into a faint smile. He knew this was exactly the kind of thing Yan Chengfeng would do.

Yan Chengfeng gazed at Zhen Ning’s face, suppressing the throbbing ache in his chest, but after a brief pause, he couldn’t help but laugh.

“Last year around this time, we also made it to the semifinals here. But I remember thinking that no matter what, I just couldn’t feel happy back then.”

He paused, then said, “This year, it feels like the opposite. Everyone is so nervous about making it to the finals, yet I’ve found a rare sense of calm in my heart.”

He chuckled. “I finally realized it doesn’t matter if we win or lose. As long as I’m with you, I feel like I have endless strength and courage for anything.”

“But these past two days, I couldn’t stop wondering… If the me from back then had been more reliable, would things have turned out differently?” he asked.

Zhen Ning frowned. “Don’t—”

Yan Chengfeng smiled and nodded. “It’s okay. I know what you’re going to say.”

“Actually, looking back at the time we were apart, I don’t feel as much regret anymore,” he said. “Because I know that from now on, we’ll walk through every day together.”

“And honestly, if it weren’t for that time apart, I might never have grown. My temper and mindset probably would’ve stayed just as terrible, and maybe I wouldn’t even have had the chance to stand here with you now.”

“Zhen Ning,” he gazed into Zhen Ning’s eyes and said softly, “I want you to know that I’ve changed a lot. You can always trust me more, and you can lean on me more.”

“I am your alpha, your partner, your support. I want to be… the person you trust the most.”

The moment Yan Chengfeng finished speaking, Zhen Ning’s hand, which had been flipping through the album, suddenly froze.

Because he had turned to the last page.

Zhen Ning finally understood why the album felt so thick. The last page didn’t have any photos pasted on it.

Instead, there was a small strip of tape.

Beneath the tape was a silver ring, adorned with a tiny, beautiful diamond.

The waves crashed against the shore, and the humid breeze grew stronger.

Zhen Ning stared blankly, his gaze falling on Yan Chengfeng’s face, which was brimming with a smile yet carrying a hint of nervousness.

But the light in Yan Chengfeng’s eyes was brighter and more dazzling than the diamond or the starlit night.

“Zhen Ning,” Yan Chengfeng asked, “will you let me be your support for a lifetime?”