Since Tong Yao had uninstalled Weibo, Tieba, and the LoL app and hid from the anticipated storm like an ostrich, she didn't know that her fans and Lu Sicheng's fans had already become embroiled in a shouting match on Tieba.
Lu Sicheng's crazy fan A: I'm a fan of three years, today I simply can't stop myself! A certain person is truly shameless, is she playing professional games or looking for a boyfriend?! Chessman has played professionally up till now without having a single affair, he only concentrated on the game. If his performance in games suffers because this woman sidetracks him, then she's waiting to be condemned as a sinner!
Tong Yao's protective fan A: I don't know whether the poster above is a man or woman, but jealousy is really scary. Has Smiling failed to carry a game or has she won a game by just doing nothing? It's true that Chessman is a strong gamer and good looking, but I don't see how Tong Yao can't match up to him-- --Besides, when those damn yaoi fangirls made Chessman and Pope into a couple, why haven't I heard from you guys that the relationship will tarnish his performance?
Lu Sicheng's crazy fan B: Who are you cursing at! Those fangirls never bothered them in real life, who have they hurt? You really have a dirty mouth!
Tong Yao's protective fan B: Who is calling someone "shameless" first? It's a crime when a man and a woman are in love but 1 + 1 > 2 when two men are together? What a double standard 6666666
Lu Sicheng's crazy fan C: I'm a man and also disappointed at what Cheng Ge did. I was hoping he would bring back the world championship. I simply don't know what he is doing.
Tong Yao's protective fan C: I'm so amused by the above poster. Is Smiling Daji?[1] How can you be sure that they can't win the world championship just because she's dating Lu Sicheng? The summer competition is only halfway through. Damn, you think he's good at playing just because he's been abstinent for three years and has screwed himself just because of a girlfriend?
Lu Sicheng's crazy fan A: To the above poster: don't change the topic. Since the championship is their dream, what's wrong with being abstinent? There's no harm to it.
Tong Yao's protective fan D: To hell with abstinence, you're so laughable. When you're preparing for the college entrance exam you're also striving for your dream and your life. It doesn't stop you from consoling yourself and even give it a good name: relaxation.
Lu Sicheng's crazy fan A: You have a dirty mouth.
Tong Yao's protective fan E: You have a dirty heart.
......
The shouting match was all over Tieba and Weibo.
The rest of ZGDX's fans and other more sensible fans were all caught in between.
A sensible fan:...............Well, you guys fought against each other but it hasn't hindered the loving relationship between Smiling and Chessman at all. Don't you guys feel ridiculous? It looks like the two have been together for some time now and it hasn't influenced their performance. Don't we all want what's best for this team? Stop fighting.
This post by a neutral fan on Tieba led to the war of the century. It gained over two thousand replies and became a major battlefield for fans from both sides. The original poster got so scared that he eventually gave up responding to both sides to stop fighting and simply ducked out of sight.
Two days, it took only two days.
When the ZGDX B team finished the first phase of the Demacia Cup and ensured their position in the top four teams, Tong Yao and her teammates returned to Shanghai to prepare for the rest of the summer season. By that time, the original Tieba post about 'the look in his eyes can't fool anyone' had already gained over fifty or sixty thousand replies. It had successfully surpassed the post about Xu Tailun and had become the hottest thread on a certain Tieba esports forum.
The momentum didn't slow down until ZGDX management noticed and grew concerned by how the whole incident was developing. They feared that some extreme fans might do something to hurt the players and started to contact the Tieba forum administrators to intervene.
However, the club's efforts didn't stop all the media platforms from reporting the affair between Tong Yao and Lu Sicheng.
It was even messier on ZGDX's official Weibo site. Some were calling Tong Yao shameless for seducing Lu Sicheng; some were calling Lu Sicheng names for having a crush on Tong Yao and the others were blaming management: Damn the management, they don't even come out to stick up for their players when they're being blasted online. They obviously don't treat their players like human beings. They only know how to squeeze players dry to make money from them. Get lost!
It was said that the girl who administered the official site had been dissed so badly that she burst into tears and went directly to the public relations department of the club to demand the director issue a statement.
When the plane carrying Tong Yao and her teammates landed at Shanghai's airport, the ZGDX Club finally issued an official statement--
To the fans of the ZGDX Club:
Greetings to everyone.
Thanks to everyone for your long time fondness and support to the two members of our Club's League of Legends Division: Tong Yao (game id: Smiling) and Lu Sicheng (game id: Chessman).
As to the private relationship between our team members, our club, upholding the management concepts of independence and open mindedness, will not excessively interfere in private relationships under the condition that said relationships haven't impacted their training and performance-- -- "The mutual attraction will become a legend with high approbation," will be the best blessing and wishes from the management of our club.
As to the online verbal attacks on our players recently, our club will investigate and follow through. Any speech that infringes on the personal safety of our players, our club will uphold our right to take legal action and safeguard the personal rights of our players to the end.
Finally, there is a quote on Weibo-- --
"If you are watchful of the current situation in the world, it seems that the opposite side of goodness isn't evil, but ignorance.
Evil is only the by-product of ignorance."
Don't let ignorance blind your eyes to goodness.
We wish you all a happy life.
......
On the bus back to the ZGDX base, Xiao Rui read the official statement from the club word by word on the microphone. After he put down the mic, he faced the two who were sitting on the last row and said: "I heard the official Weibo administrator cried three times from being attacked by fans. But there's nothing to be afraid of, it's not something shameful at all-- --But you two have to understand one thing: a lot of people are watching you, some who are sincerely wishing you well and some who are waiting to see you fall so they can laugh at you. Therefore, in regard to the world championship, there's only winning. There's no room for losing."
Tong Yao and Lu Sicheng didn't say anything at the time.
The atmosphere in the bus grew serious. Everyone had a ponderous look on their face. Everyone was carefully mulling over what Xiao Ruo had just said.
Some who are sincerely wishing you well and some are waiting to see you fall so they can laugh at you. Therefore, in regards to the world championship, there's only winning. There's no room for losing
......
After arriving back at base, they all went back to their rooms to take showers and get ready for bed. Tong Yao didn't bother to think about anything or do anything. She only took out her cell phone to charge it and then fell sound asleep on her bed, without a dream throughout the night. The next morning, the sun shone brightly into her room. Tong Yao took off her eyeshades and got up. She grabbed her cell phone and the first thing she saw was a WeChat message from her friend Chen Jinyang-- --
The person totally tricked by a high schooler: Your official site is really something, facing off those trolls just like that. It's almost like wishing you two for a harmonious union and to soon have a baby.
The corner of Tong Yao's lips twitched.
She logged off WeChat and opened the Apple store to download Weibo, Tieba, the LoL app, and other various social network apps. She was at peace with herself as she waited for the downloads.
After finishing with all the downloads, Tong Yao logged on to all social networks to check them. She picked a few private messages which were dissing her on Weibo and replied "read," and replied to those which were supporting her with "thanks." Then she put down her cell phone and went to take a shower and get a change of clothes. When she opened her room door, at 8 o'clock in the morning feeling all refreshed, she jumped by a huge creature squatting in front of her door-- --
"Shoot! What are you doing here! It's so early in the morning!"
Tong Yao pulled on the man's hair-- --He looked up, there were dark circles under his eyes, obviously from lack of sleep. Tong Yao had messed up his hair. He was unshaven and had an unlit cigarette in his mouth.
Startled by his disheveled appearance, Tong Yao subconsciously released her hold on his hair: ".................What's this? You haven't slept the whole night?"
Lu Sicheng's eyeballs rolled around in his eyes and then opened his mouth with a somewhat hoarse voice: "I slept for an hour and couldn't go back to sleep again. I was worried about you so I came to your door to check whether you were crying, hiding inside your blanket, only to hear you snoring loudly."
..................Tong Yao blushed a little and walked around to face Lu Sicheng. She also squatted down and quickly pulled the cigarette out of his mouth: "Didn't you quit?"
"I haven't lit it." Lu Sicheng gave her a glance: "I'm upset. Having it in my mouth calms me down."
"What are you upset about?"
"I messed up." Lu Sicheng turned his face away and said flatly: "I'm too impulsive. Didn't consider the consequences."
"What consequences!"
"......Regarding, what you have to face."
Tong Yao reached over to turn his face back and stroked his head like stroking a big dog, then used a mollifying tone of voice to say: "If you're worried that I would be defeated by those comments online, then it's totally unnecessary. I'm fine."
Lu Sicheng stood up and pulled Tong Yao up as well.
Tong Yao hugged his waist with both of her hands as she stood up: "I was very scared at the beginning. I always thought that if we went public, there would be an overwhelming amount of objections and questions. I had a lot of concerns-- --What I was afraid of the most is whether you would be influenced by it, just like what Jian Yang did before, and start to regret being with me. Then there'll be cheating, lies, indifference, and eventually we would go our separate ways. That's what I'm afraid of the most, but then afterwards-- --"
"What happens afterwards?" Lu Sicheng let the girl who was much shorter than him hug him. He could feel the soft body pressing against his and when he lowered his head, he could smell the faint smell of the shower gel which made him feel warm and reassured. He paused but couldn't help stressing about it: "Let me make it clear first, at least in this regard, I haven't regretted it."
"Afterwards, I found that you're different from Jian Yang. That you won't do those things to me, I'm certain of it. You firmly and clearly know what you want." Tong Yao tightened her arms: "I feel reassured. Therefore, one day I decided to end your probation."
Tong Yao looked up to face those dark brown pupils of his: "From that day on, I've mentally prepared myself to face the coming storm. You said that you don't regret it, so neither do I-- --"
Tong Yao stopped for a moment.
Her black pupils were never this bright before.
"I don't regret it." She looked into Lu Sicheng's eyes and said word by word: "I'm not afraid either."
The moment she ended her sentence, she could feel the arms around her waistline suddenly tighten. Lu Sicheng hugged her tightly as if he wanted to press her inside his body. He lowered his head and kissed her deeply with the feeling of gratitude.
......
The person totally tricked by a high schooler: Little ostrich, I heard that you've redownloaded Weibo and Tieba, where did you get your courage?
ZGDX, Smiling: From a lot of people, you, other friends, teammates, the club.
ZGDX, Smiling: And him.