You're Beautiful When You Smile (Falling Into Your Smile)

Chapter 69

Tong Yao answered the questions fluently without pausing. She suddenly understood something at the same time-- --Then she heard Lu Sicheng retorted: "Your team and your teammates change themselves to get used to your way of playing, how can you be irresponsible to them?"

"......"

"Now, do you still feel your suspension only matters to you personally? You made a mistake and got your punishment, then this thing is all over? You're now sitting at backstage watching your teammates play. Have you ever thought about the fact that your teammates on stage are actually being punished with you? They have to readjust themselves to suit the new player and all their previous training is wasted." As Lu Sicheng spoke, he took out a cigarette. As he was about to light it up, he glanced at Tong Yao and stopped. Instead, he broke the cigarette in half and threw it away. "You don't repent and mend your ways after one suspension; then you make the same mistake again and get suspended again-- --How is our team going to work with you? Should we still let you participate in the training matches? Should we invite you to play ranked? Should the team adjust itself to fit you so you can get used to us quickly? There are a lot of good players out there after all, they are all waiting for the chance to move up to your position......"

Tong Yao: "......"

LuSicheng: "Should we continue to hire you, or replace you with Lu Yue, or hire a new mid?"

Tong Yao twisted her fingers, pondering for quite a while.

Lu Sicheng continued after glancing at her: "Because Lu Yue acted on his impulses, he cost us Ming god's career and cost the team a chance at competing in the world competition-- --He tucked his tail and buried his pride to come back. His teammates chose to forgive him, but have you asked him whether he has forgiven himself yet?"

Lu Sicheng paused: "Your thoughts."

Tong Yao's head was hanging down so low that it almost touching her chest: "League of Legends is a team video game. In esports, there's no individual hero."

Lu Sicheng said en, then lifted his hand to check the watch again: "You have 3 more minutes."

Tong Yao abruptly raised her head.

"After 3 minutes, I want to hear you tell me exactly where you stand-- --As I've said, I don't care what other people say, I only care about how you see yourself: continue or give up? The professional scene isn't a place where you can come and play as you will. A professional player's career is very short, the golden moment is over in a flash-- --"

Lu Sicheng's eyes turned piercingly cold: "You can't afford to waste yourself, not to mention hold others back."

"As for me, I have to be responsible for my team, young lady." Lu Sicheng spoke lightly: "I don't know what you think about it. What I'm sure of is that ZGDX, as a top professional team, signed you up so you can come play games for us-- --In this circle, some people will treat you differently just because you're a girl: look down upon you, discriminate against you, worship you, or protect and cherish you. But I won't; after you start to wear the team uniform, to me, you have only one identity regardless of gender: a teammate."

"......"

Tong Yao bit her lower lip, hard.

Her heart, which had sank to the bottom of the sea and was so cold that almost stopped pumping, suddenly started to beat again-- --

She looked up to Lu Sicheng.

Lu Sicheng leaned against the table, quietly looking at her.

The whole room became silent for a long moment-- --Until there were footsteps outside, someone was trying to turn on the door knob but couldn't open the door. Tong Yao then realized that Lu Sicheng had locked the door when he came in......Xiao Rui knocked on the door and called: "Cheng Ge." Lu Sicheng didn't respond, maintaining his gaze at Tong Yao with his head tilted to one side.

30 seconds later, Lu Sicheng briefly said: "Time's up." He straightened up, lightly glanced at Tong Yao: "Looks like you don't have anything you want to say to me."

Then he turned around and began to walk towards the door.

Right at that moment, he heard a loud noise coming from behind, as if something heavy had fallen off from the chair. He stopped and was about to turn around when the person behind him staggered forward to hit his back and forcefully grabbed onto his right hand out of desperation-- --

The hands felt icy cold.

Lu Sicheng's pupils shrank slightly, but he didn't say anything. Not even the expression on his face changed much. He slightly lowered his head and could see the tip of the nose of the person grabbing him from behind. The hands on his big hand were exerting a good measure of force-- --

"I don't know how to smooth talk and don't want to say meaningless apologies......"

She lowered her head and spoke in a hoarse voice.

"I just know that I want to win. I want to win every match together with all of you and I want to present in every single game. I don't want to disappoint all of you again. I don't want to be the stumbling block to anyone. I want to be your teammate until the day when all of you and I can stand on top of the world, which we all want......"

Tong Yao's eyes were red, her voice choked.

But she didn't cry.

Tong Yao's eyes were sparkling clear and there was only one thing that Lu Sicheng had said earlier echoing in her head — —

[after you start to wear the team uniform, to me, you have only one identity regardless of gender: a teammate.]

She wants to be his teammate.

She wants to be their teammate.

Even if it means that she has to smooth out the edges of her character one day, it's — —

"You probably feel that you haven't been treated fairly. You were protecting your teammates and ended up being treated this way."

The voice coming from above her head interrupted her thoughts. She paused slightly, then raised her head up to meet those dark brown eyes— —The coldness in his eyes had faded, now the dark brown looked as soft as chocolate.

"All of us are very grateful for your protection. That's why Little Fatty and the others were willing to do the game in the end. It was to provide some useful evidence to reduce the damage you've done to yourself." Lu Sicheng stopped for a moment. Under Tong Yao's gaze, he slowly said: "And I, I personally am also very grateful for your protection."

"......"

"No one asked you to smooth out the edges of your character, young lady. It's just that you have to understand — —Before starting to protect others, you have to learn how to protect yourself well."

"When do I know that I can protect myself?"

"When you're strong enough to the point that no one can put you down."

Tong Yao remained silent, eyebrows slightly gathered, confused by the answer she had received.

Xiao Rui had begun pounding on the door urging Lu Sicheng to get out of the room for the next match. Lu Sicheng raised his hand to pat her head as if to soothe her but didn't pull his other arm out of Tong Yao's grip until Tong Yao released it. He then mumbled in a low voice that he's going back to play and walked forward a couple of steps— —

Tong Yao grabbed his arm once again.

He turned his head.

"Cheng Ge, are you that kind of person?"

"What?"

"Strong enough that no one can put you down?"

Lu Sicheng was quiet for a while then slowly shook his head: "I'm not. There are times when I hesitate and don't know what to do."

Tong Yao: "?"

Tong Yao let him go again. Lu Sicheng unlocked the door and was about to open the door when Tong Yao called out to him, still standing in place with her hands behind her: "Cheng Ge."

"?"

"One last question."

"In the past two days, why did you ignore me? Just because you're angry? Or is there some other reason?"

"......"

Lu Sicheng pulled the door open and thought about her question as Xiao Rui nagged at him to go onstage. Then he gave his answer which made Xiao Rui rather confused. Afterwards, he went out the door and closed the door again.

Tong Yao was left inside the room by herself, in a daze.

His answer was that he would become soft-hearted.