Chapter 15: Walking the Night Road Together
Roadside, at the street food stall.
Jiang Yuan stirred the seafood congee in his bowl, happy inside.
Winning the match felt great, but what made him happier was the chemistry the team displayed.
After Su Wanwan’s talent activated, she was like a completely different person—fierce as hell.
Jiang Ruoxi was also increasingly showing her leadership qualities.
The road ahead looked bright.
“Brother Yuan, what are you smiling about?” Yu Feng scooted over with his bowl. “Is beating us really that satisfying?”
Jiang Yuan glanced at him sideways: “With how badly you played, I should be angry I didn’t die from frustration.”
“Come on!” Yu Feng protested. “I just had an off day today…”
“Give me a break,” nearby Jinling Uzi interrupted. “Your Graves got walked like a dog by Lillia!”
Yu Feng, having his mistake exposed, tried to shift blame: “I got myself into trouble ganking mid at level two! Brother Kai was under so much pressure, what could I do?”
Jinling Brother Kai looked dead inside, saying gloomily: “Don’t talk about it. Back in the class tournament finals… it was also me not holding mid that cost us. Otherwise Junzhe’s signature Fiora really could have carried us…”
“There you go again,” Dr. K sighed. “That game was my fault for not communicating information properly, causing Junzhe to get caught several times. My bad.”
Listening to these goofballs’ daily reminiscing, Jiang Yuan couldn’t help but laugh.
That match really was unfortunate, but it was more about overall skill gaps.
Though these guys liked to banter, the brotherhood between them was real.
This time when he called them to help as practice partners, they came without hesitation—their years of grinding through all-nighters together weren’t for nothing.
Jiang Yuan tapped the table: “So who’s paying?”
One sentence brought the atmosphere back to reality.
The boys pushed responsibility back and forth, eventually deciding to split the bill.
As the congee bowls emptied, Ji Shiyun smiled and suggested: “Let’s play a game—truth or dare?”
The president could see the unusual looks in several boys’ eyes and intentionally suggested playing games.
Jiang Yuan was happy to go along.
Anyway, except for Jiang Ruoxi and Su Wanwan, he’d originally wanted to introduce the other three girls to his brothers.
Wait…
Jiang Yuan paused.
Why except for Jiang Ruoxi and Su Wanwan?
He scratched his head and figured it out.
Because they were future core team members who needed to focus on gaming and couldn’t date.
Yeah, definitely that!
The game began.
First round, Ji Shiyun lost and chose truth.
Yu Feng asked: “President, why is our team called FM? Is there some meaning?”
Ji Shiyun: “Fengming—the phoenix’s cry. ‘The phoenix calls out from that high hill, the parasol tree grows toward the morning sun.’ I hope our team can be like a phoenix—even starting from humble beginnings, we can face the sun and make our voices heard.”
Jiang Yuan smiled and gave the president a thumbs up.
The game continued.
This time Jiang Ruoxi lost.
Her mind had been focused on game content the whole time and didn’t react, looking up: “Ah, I… I choose truth.”
Yu Feng asked a classic question: “Junior Ruoxi, among the guys here, who do you like most?”
Jiang Ruoxi answered without hesitation: “I like Coach Jiang the most.”
After speaking, she lowered her head to drink congee, continuing to review game content in her mind.
This answer was completely expected.
Everyone didn’t even have the desire to tease her about it.
Asking this kind of question was most fun when you could see people get shy and act like they didn’t dare to say—that was entertaining.
Jiang Ruoxi straightforwardly stating her answer actually made it boring.
Only Su Wanwan asked with a smile: “Ruoxi baby, what do you like about the coach?”
Jiang Ruoxi honestly answered: “Professional, responsible, good to us.”
After finishing, she turned to look at Jiang Yuan, seriously asking: “Coach, are we still training tomorrow morning?”
“Tomorrow won’t work,” Jiang Yuan put away his smile. “All major courses, can’t skip them. We’ll practice in the evening.”
“Okay.”
The game continued. A night breeze blew, and Su Wanwan tugged at her pleated skirt, pressing her legs together.
Jiang Yuan caught sight of this peripherally, took off his jacket, and draped it over her legs.
This scene was quite eye-catching—many people noticed and smiled knowingly.
Su Wanwan’s face reddened slightly, though it was hard to see in the dim night.
Her tone remained light: “Aren’t you cold?”
Jiang Yuan: “I’m fine, but you can’t get cold.”
Su Wanwan was startled.
But then she heard Jiang Yuan add: “The competition is this weekend. What if you catch a cold? Don’t wear so little in the future.”
“…” Su Wanwan had been scared by Jiang Yuan’s dramatic pause, almost thinking he was about to confess.
After breathing a sigh of relief, she huffed: “Is that any of your business?”
“Forgot I’m your dad?”
“…” Su Wanwan found herself unable to argue with this.
She crossed her arms unhappily, thinking she definitely needed to find a chance to get back at him…
Clearing plates, paying the bill.
The boys said they were going to an internet café to grind all night.
Ji Shiyun led Jiang Ruoxi and the others back to the dorms.
She specifically said: “Coach Jiang, Wanwan is alone in the A7 dorms, not the same direction as us. Remember to walk her back~”
After walking a few steps, Lin Yuanyuan whispered: “President, isn’t A7… on our way?”
Qin Shu pushed up her glasses: “Are you stupid? I can see what’s happening—the president is creating opportunities for them.”
“Ah…” Zhao Xiaomeng had a realization: “So Wanwan dressed so nicely today because…”
Ji Shiyun interrupted them: “Don’t guess randomly.”
After saying this, she secretly glanced at Jiang Ruoxi, seeing her expression unchanged before relaxing, thinking to herself:
‘Coach Jiang, who will you choose in the end? Hehe, I can only help you this much…’
At the food stall, two people remained.
“Hey, Miss Su,” Jiang Yuan lightly bumped her with his elbow, “what are you dawdling for? Let’s go.”
Su Wanwan looked up and glared at him: “Who asked you to manage me? I just want to sit a bit longer, is that not okay?”
Jiang Yuan muttered: “So much drama.”
“Damn!” Su Wanwan pretended to kick him, but Jiang Yuan nimbly dodged.
He said: “You want to fight again? I’ll make you walk back alone later!”
“I’ll walk back alone then! You can leave!”
“Tch, forget it. It’s so late, I’m worried you’ll get robbed. I’ll protect you.”
“With those stick arms and legs of yours, who can you protect!” Su Wanwan huffed: “Let’s go, let’s go. So annoying.”
The two bickered all the way to the girls’ dormitory.
Su Wanwan tied Jiang Yuan’s jacket around her waist but still felt a bit cold, shivering.
She looked at Jiang Yuan and couldn’t help asking: “Are you really not cold?”
Jiang Yuan kept his hands in his pockets, shrugging: “Not cold.”
He seemed calm but his voice was actually trembling.
Not cold? Like hell he wasn’t cold!
November in Jinling, wearing just one long-sleeved shirt—you try it and see if it’s cold!
Su Wanwan heard the tremor in his voice, pouted, put her hands behind her back, and silently followed along.
They walked without speaking until reaching the dormitory building.
She untied the jacket, turned her head away as she handed it back: “Here.”
Jiang Yuan eagerly put the jacket back on, catching a whiff of added fragrance on the clothes, and waved: “Go on up.”
“Training tomorrow?”
“You don’t need to come. I’m reviewing individually with Ruoxi tomorrow.”
“Hey, no way! If you don’t want me to come, I’m definitely coming! Bleh bleh bleh!”
“…”
Jiang Yuan was speechless.
The more he interacted with her, the more he felt Su Wanwan was a childish brat.
Thinking about favorability ratings and player personality, he decided to praise her: “By the way, you played well today.”
“Hmph!” Su Wanwan lifted her chin: “Just okay.”
Jiang Yuan added: “Just that sometimes your brain doesn’t work so well, easy to get tilted.”
“Who has a bad brain?!” Su Wanwan exploded, reaching out to pinch him.
Jiang Yuan laughed and dodged: “Still won’t admit it? Today if Ruoxi hadn’t pulled you back, you would have gotten cocky all the way to their high ground…”
“I like being cocky! You got a problem with that! Stupid Jiang Yuan!”
The two traded punches and kicks, fighting under the dormitory building.
The security auntie in the guard booth saw this, smiled, opened her window wider, and leisurely sipped red date tea while watching the show.
After a long while.
Su Wanwan smoothed her wind-tousled hair, glancing sideways at Jiang Yuan:
“I’m done playing around with you. Going up now. See you tomorrow!”
“Bye.”
The two parted ways.
Jiang Yuan returned to his dorm, sniffed his jacket, smiled thinking about something, then took a shower and lay in bed playing on his phone.
When it hit midnight, the system panel refreshed—