Chapter 126: Qiao Yu
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
Having been seated for a long time, Qiao Yue was stiff and as she moved, a sharp pain lanced through her ribs. She subconsciously rubbed her wound, and the action was not lost on Qiao Jing.
Qiao Jing quickly pushed Qiao Yue to the bed and carried her off the wheelchair.
Qiao Yue was startled by this sudden development and clutched Qiao Jing's shirt tightly.
"Are you scared?" Qiao Jing asked, looking at his awkward passenger.
"I'm fine; you just startled me."
Qiao Jing exited the room once Qiao Yue was tucked comfortably in bed. Since Qiao Yue would be staying home to recuperate, he would need to pay more attention to her. It seemed he would need to instruct the housekeepers on what they needed to do.
Not long after Qiao Jing left, someone knocked on her door.
"Who is it?" Qiao Yue shouted from her bed.
As the bed was some distance from the door, Qiao Yue had no choice but to raise her voice to be heard. However, in doing so, she pulled on her wound, causing her face to pale from the influx of pain.
Whoever it was at the door heard her gasp and hurriedly pushed the door open. It was Qiao Yu.
Qiao Yue had heard that Qiao Yu returned home earlier that morning, saying he did not want to stay in the hospital any longer. He made such a fuss, refusing even the full-body checkup to determine his condition, and left.
"You're finally home! Would you like to play a few rounds with me?" Qiao Yu asked, wheeling himself to Qiao Yue's bedside.
Qiao Yue was left speechless. He did not even tell her to rest; instead, he wanted her to play with him as soon as she returned. Then again, it was not so bad. At least he was not treating her like an outsider.
Qiao Yue did not think she could sleep so soon, so she agreed to play two rounds with Qiao Yu.
While waiting for their game to start, Qiao Yue casually asked, "Why are you in such a hurry to play today? Were you abused in-game?"
Qiao Yue was making a wild guess, but who could have known she would strike true?
"Abused? Me? How could I let myself be abused by three pieces of trash? They don't have any skill, yet they bark at every opportunity!" Qiao Yu retorted.
Qiao Yue's interest was piqued. Was it a girl who had driven Qiao Yu mad?
"Come, come. Tell me what happened."
Qiao Yue's excitement fanned the flames of Qiao Yu's anger. He gritted his teeth and growled, "The game's matchmaking paired me with a girl. I was assigned the jungle while she became our team's mage. She added me soon after."
Qiao Yue nodded. It was normal for girls to add Qiao Yu as a friend in games because he was just that good. Still, she did not see why he needed to get so worked up if he was gaming with a few girls.
"The girl invited me to her party, and I agreed. There was someone else in the lobby when I joined."
Qiao Yu's eyes were bloodshot, and they threatened to shoot gouts of flame. Qiao Yue, on the other hand, continued listening happily.
"When picking our champions, that fellow contested me for the jungle role. I didn't want to argue, so I chose to play on the top lane. The girl chose to play as a support. She should have played with a ranged champion or a mage, but she chose to stick with me instead. I didn't mind when she followed me. It would still benefit the team if we could gain an advantage in the top lane.
Qiao Yue nodded along. There was nothing wrong with that idea. What mattered was securing victory by any means possible. Things would only go south if two people could not beat a single enemy, forcing their other teammates to deal with a similar situation elsewhere on the map.
"Everything seemed to be going fine, and we held the advantage with our minions sieging the enemy tower. I hid in the bush with my support. That was when that fellow in the jungle decided to come top. One would think that three against one should have been an easy victory, don't you think?" Qiao Yu turned to Qiao Yue, waiting for an answer.
Qiao Yue regarded Qiao Yu quietly but did not say anything. He was probably going to reveal a twist from the tone with which he spoke. When he got no response from Qiao Yue, Qiao Yu continued, "I drew the tower's attention so that the idiot could take first blood, but he wasted the opportunity and even caused my champion to die!"
Hearing Qiao Yu's irascible voice, Qiao Yue had trouble holding back her laughter. Poor Qiao Yu had been tricked into putting himself in harm's way.
Qiao Yu inhaled deeply to calm himself. "It's fine if he isn't a good player, but he brings everyone down with him! He tries to show off but fails, and when he does, he sells out his team, stealing the resources the rest of us need to advance. Instead of helping the team and securing objectives, he wanders around the jungle with the support in tow, dancing in the tall grass like the buffoon he is!"
The more Qiao Yu spoke, the angrier he became. He wished he could return to that match and chop his opponent and teammates into pieces.
One had to be blind not to see Qiao Yue's great effort suppressing her laughter. She was definitely gloating over his misfortune!
"Hurry up! Why haven't you come online yet?" Qiao Yu could not touch Qiao Yue, but that did not mean he could not get her to speed up.
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Chapter 127: Don't Hit the Mage
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
"Wait for an update," Qiao Yue replied as she tried to suppress a smile. "It sounds like it's that player's fault. How does it have anything to do with the girl?" Qiao Yue asked after a moment's thought.
Qiao Yue's curiosity exploded as Qiao Yu's expression turned black.
"I challenged him to a one-on-one battle, and that woman thought I was fighting him because of her."
Qiao Yue could no longer hold in her laughter and burst into giggles. At least she tried to cover it up by holding a hand to her mouth. Qiao Yu glared resentfully, so Qiao Yue quickly comforted him. "We're up! Come, come. Let's play."
Hearing that Qiao Yue's game client had opened, Qiao Yu stopped complaining and invited her to a ranked match.
The queue was surprisingly fruitful, with Xu Hao joining them randomly. It was almost as if they were playing as a three-man team. The game assigned roles to each of them. Xu Hao played top, Qiao Yu in the jungle, and Qiao Yue was the support. Mages and sharpshooters were popular roles, so they were always the first to be snapped up. With no other choice, Qiao Yue had to fill in where ever she could.
Qiao Yue and the other two were fairly skilled and seldom lost. The game's matchmaking decided who they teamed up with, going from Bronze to Silver, Platinum, Diamond, Starshine and King, from low to high. The three of them were all ranked Kings. There was a subtle science to matchmaking, and it was their luck that they got to play with one another.
Qiao Yu and Qiao Yue played two ranked matches, both victories.
Just as Qiao Yu was about to invite Qiao Yue for another match, he received a friend request.
Qiao Yu clicked on the note attached, which read:
[ Hello, are you a friend of Don't Hit Mage? ]
Qiao Yu frowned and replied: [ No. ]
Seeing Qiao Yu occupied, Qiao Yue looked up and asked, "Are we not playing another game?"
"We will; don't worry. Someone just sent me a friend request asking if I am a friend of some guy called Don't Hit Mage," Qiao Yu answered a little distractedly.
Qiao Yue was stunned when she heard the name. Wasn't that the name she had used while the game was still in open beta?
"Why are they looking for Don't Hit Mage?" Qiao Yue asked, unable to restrain herself.
Qiao Yu shook his head. "I don't know. I'll ask."
[ I don't know who this "Don't Hit Mage" is. May I know why you are asking after them? ] Qiao Yu sent the message to the individual who posted the friend request.
He soon received a response. [ Your friend plays like "Don't Hit Mage", but I might have been mistaken. My bad! ]
Qiao Yu did not respond. Instead, he turned to Qiao Yue in askance.
"Xiao Yue, do you know someone called Don't Hit Mage?" Qiao Yu asked.
Qiao Yue paused, still checking she had bought the correct items from the shop. "No. I don't know them. Why do you ask?"
Qiao Yu pretended to be indifferent while secretly observing Qiao Yue's movements.
Although he had asked if Qiao Yue had played the game before, and Qiao Yue said she only played a little, Qiao Yu doubted Qiao Yue was as green as she said she was.
In the draft selection screen, Qiao Yu chose to pick his role last, leaving Qiao Yue with either top or mid as lane options.
"Xiao Yue, which role would you like to take?" Qiao Yu asked.
"I'll take the middle lane," Qiao Yue replied after some consideration.
When the match started, Qiao Yu realised they were playing against two familiar faces. They were the two who had angered him prior.
Seeing Qiao Yu's champion remain stationary in their base, Qiao Yue called out, "Fourth Brother."
Qiao Yu returned to his senses, remarking darkly, "Xiao Yue, I want you to target their mid and jungle. Make sure they die a thousand deaths!"
"Huh?" Qiao Yue did not know where that came from.
"Those two are the ones I was talking about."
Though he did not say much, Qiao Yue could read between the lines. She burst into laughter, only to receive a vicious glare from Qiao Yu.
"Okay, okay. I'll do my best. I'll beat them till they're black and blue," Qiao Yue said, smiling.
Qiao Yue reached level four ahead of her opponent, unlocking her finishing move. She pushed her opponent under their tower before disappearing into the jungle.
The enemy jungle had cleared most of the monsters lurking in the underbrush, but that did not matter. Qiao Yue hid in a bush, stalking her prey: the enemy top lane. With enough vision in their jungle, Qiao Yu lured his lane opponent towards Qiao Yue.
The enemy jungle took the bait as soon as Qiao Yu stepped within range. He, and the enemy top lane, ganged up on Qiao Yu.
Qiao Yu activated his champion's second skill, 'Shield Protection', reducing the damage of his enemies' ultimate moves whilst increasing the gap between him and them. The enemies pursued Qiao Yu relentlessly since he was only at half health.
Qiao Yue seized the opportunity, combining the effects of her second and ultimate skills, unleashing a deluge of damage that sent the two enemy players into critical condition. Qiao Yu cleaned up the rest with a skill and a basic attack, earning himself a double kill.
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Chapter 128: Qiao Yue's Game
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
"Beautiful!" Qiao Yu sighed.
Together, they scored a double-kill, one who had been at half health and the other full. Since he and Qiao Yue had not taken much of a beating in that fight, they returned to their lanes and earned more gold, widening the gap between them and their foes.
When Qiao Yue reached her lane, she bumped into her opponent. Her foe was not very experienced with her champion, and her aim was subpar, giving Qiao Yue an easy pass dodging her skill shots.
Qiao Yue felled another wave of minions before heading to the bottom lane. The 2v2 became a 3v2, with her side scoring another double-kill on the enemy sharpshooter and support. Soon, the bottom lane turret fell, the three of them pushing their advantage to take the enemies' Tier-2 turrets.
Once they destroyed that turret, their team would gain greater control over the map, increasing the number of resources Qiao Yue could steal from the enemy jungle. It would also give her more opportunities to ambush her opponents.
While Qiao Yue had fun poaching monsters from the enemy jungle, a game notification flashed on her screen, informing her that Qiao Yu had scored another kill on the enemy jungle.
"Fourth Brother, have you taken a fancy to the enemy jungle? You've caught him three times already!" Qiao Yue teased.
Qiao Yu laughed coldly. "Since he has the nerve to trespass in our territory, he should be prepared for death. Come, let's take the battle to them. It seems they've grown too cowardly to explore the limits beyond their turrets. We'll push the wave of minions into their top-side tower."
"Okay!" Qiao Yue directed her champion to the top lane to assist Qiao Yu.
Still unhappy with the enemy jungle with whom he had played together earlier, Qiao Yu launched a vicious campaign against the top outermost turret. He only wanted to crush that tower and run down the enemy jungle on their turf.
Catching the enemy top lane in a pincer manoeuvre, they swiftly dispatched their opponent, with Qiao Yu taking the kill. Maybe it was a force of habit after playing as a support for so long, but Qiao Yue instinctively gave all her kills to her teammates.
Just then, Qiao Yue was ambushed by four from the enemy team while she was down in the bottom lane. The enemy sharpshooter died, and the support escaped with a sliver of health. Meanwhile, the enemy jungle, hampered by his teammates, ended up dying, giving Qiao Yue a little more gold.
Once she handled that mess, Qiao Yue rushed to her lane and chipped away at the enemies' middle turret. They had not even been in the game for more than 15 minutes.
The enemy mage was so flustered by the sequence of events that they hurried to their middle turret, unleashing their ultimate skill.
The enemy mage probably thought they could take Qiao Yue and Qiao Yu's lives since they were under half-health when they breached the outer turret with their minions.
Qiao Yue giggled. She didn't want to bully the enemy mid-player, so why did she rush over, delivering her head on a silver platter?
It would be a waste not to accept such a precious gift. Qiao Yue used her first, third and second skills in succession, crashing down on the enemy mage, who could only wait for death with all her skills on cooldown.
With their enemies defeated, Qiao Yue and Qiao Yu harvested gold from the jungle monsters before returning to base.
After the mid-lane mage died, the enemy jungle launched several sneak attacks on Qiao Yue but failed, with each attempt almost killing him, but he had no choice; he could not allow Qiao Yue free reign over the middle lane.
The enemy team soon realised that Qiao Yu and Qiao Yue were not marks they could easily overcome, so they turned their sights to their other three opponents.
The enemy jungle managed to catch the sharpshooter time and time again, despite their support's best efforts to protect him. Qiao Yue and the support player teamed up to defend their sharpshooter, but the enemy would retreat whenever she appeared. If nothing else, they were at least aware enough of the disparity in skill between them.
The gold deficit between Qiao Yue and Qiao Yu's team and their enemies steadily grew. Bridging a three-player gap took work. Qiao Yue was too lazy to continue with the tug-of-war, so she resolved to force them into a confrontation.
"Fourth Brother, let's wrap things up," Qiao Yue said.
The two blitzed the enemy middle lane turrets, heading straight for their nexus. Ranked games were supposed to hone a player's skill; Qiao Yue understood that. What she found appalling, however, was the enemy's guerrilla tactics, avoiding direct combat. Since they refused to meet her head-on, Qiao Yue would force them.
Seeing that their inner turrets were falling one by one, the five enemy players swiftly retreated to defend their base.
Their team's support caught up with Qiao Yu and her. They sieged the enemy's nexus turrets between the three of them – the last line of defence before the enemy base fell – grinding its health down to a third.
The support took the lead, using their ultimate skill to stun two enemies. Qiao Yu followed up and stunned another but ended up rooted because of the enemy sharpshooter's skill. Before the enemy mage or jungle could capitalise on Qiao Yu's momentary weakness, Qiao Yue joined the fray, stabbing them both with all the might mustered behind her spear, killing two champions in the process.
"Double-kill!"
The mage and sharpshooter lost their lives, while the top lane, jungle and enemy support were all half-dead.
Qiao Yu took another third of the three enemies' lives, reducing their health bars further, before retreating. When she arrived, Qiao Yue controlled her champion using an item that would refresh her ultimate skill's cooldown.
The item, an armor of resurrection, took effect, and the remaining three enemies succumbed to her blows.
It was as if someone had pressed the slow-motion button. Qiao Yu had thought Qiao Yue's champion would perish trying to save him and the support; not in his wildest dreams did he expect...
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Chapter 129: Dropping the Champion
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
"Triple-kill!"
"Quadra-kill!"
"Penta-kill!"
The game seemed to have been paused. Qiao Yu's character stopped moving, as did the support, sharpshooter and top lane. Everyone's attention turned to Qiao Yue. Though she did not have much health left, she still stood proud and tall in a corner where the enemy turrets could not reach her.
[ Amazing! ]
The sharpshooter's words brought them all back to their senses. The jungle began to type:
[ That was amazing! The brilliance of that execution blinds me. Boss, you should take the jungle role next time! ]
To the discerning eye, it was no secret that Qiao Yue could have taken more kills for herself, but she had not. Not only did she not steal kills from her fellow teammates, but she also ensured the gold deficit between their team and the enemy closed. Her selflessness was a surprise in a game where many sought benefits for themselves before others.
[ Boss, let's add each other as friends. Please carry me! I've been stuck in Starshine for so long... I need help getting into the next rank! ] The sharpshooter typed into their chat.
Qiao Yue smiled but did not answer. After that last team wipe, the enemy had no chance of a comeback. Now, they had to wait for their minions to catch up so they could destroy the turrets and end the game.
[ Cooking Wine, were you a beta tester? ] The support asked.
Cooking Wine was Qiao Yue's current in-game name.
Qiao Yue quirked a brow when she read what the support player had typed. Just as she was about to reply, the sharpshooter posted another message.
[ Test server? Why would you ask something like that? ]
The support player did not respond to the sharpshooter's question and continued asking Qiao Yue:
[ Did you play during the open beta? ]
[ I played a little. ] Qiao Yue answered.
The support quickly followed up: [ Was your username Don't Hit Mage? ]
Qiao Yue was quiet for a moment before answering no.
The support did not seem to expect Qiao Yue's answer and fell silent.
Despite the awkward lull following her response, the jungle and sharpshooter grew excited.
[ You're right! Cooking Wine's play style is very close to Don't Hit Mage. There are still a few videos on the forum showcasing their skill. Watching their videos always inspires me to play a few rounds. ] The jungle's words dominated the screen.
To stop them from gossiping further, Qiao Yue destroyed the enemy nexus as quickly as possible.
While she could hide the fact from those on the internet, she could not hide from Qiao Yu.
As soon as she looked up, Qiao Yue felt a burning gaze land on her.
"Qiao Yue, shouldn't you explain yourself?" Qiao Yu looked at Qiao Yue with a dark expression.
Qiao Yue fiddled with her phone, not looking at Qiao Yu. "What do you mean?"
"Are you Don't Hit Mage?" Qiao Yu's words rang heavily in the air.
Qiao Yue chuckled, refusing to admit to anything. She did not want to be in the spotlight.
Qiao Yue's refusal to admit to anything cemented Qiao Yu's belief that she was the character Don't Hit Mage, who had played in the open beta version of the game. Since Qiao Yue chose to remain silent, Qiao Yu did not force an answer out of her.
Didn't one of them mention something about a forum? They were likely referring to the Glory Forums. With a goal in sight, Qiao Yu logged out of the game and visited the website.
Qiao Yu clicked on the last page of the forum since the topic they were discussing involved the open beta. There it was. On the last page was a post involving a player called "Don't Hit Mage".
The post denounced "Don't Hit Mage" as a cheat, attaching a video of their performance as proof.
The video showed Don't Hit Mage could change their equipment in seconds, boosting their damage output beyond reason. Even as it looked like they were about to lose, Don't Hit Mage would always survive with a smidgen of health.
Subsequent posts continued to deride Don't Hit Mage. Some went as far as saying they had lodged reports against them for cheating. However, when a third person recorded their encounter with Don't Hit Mage, it dispelled the rumours circulating like clouds on a sunny day.
A pair of hands appeared on the screen. Those slender fingers and joints could be seen tapping away on a mouse and keyboard as if it was natural for them to be so good. Don't Hit Mage possessed a strong rhythmic ability that bolstered her reactions, making her movements very pleasing to the eye.
After the video was uploaded, no one questioned the Don't Hit Mage's actions anymore. Those who had insulted Don't Hit Mage before were all called out to apologise. Only one poster remained staunch, refusing to apologise.
Qiao Yu grew curious. Why didn't that one individual retract their post?
It was not until later, when he read other posts, that he found out the answer.
It turned out that this post had been deleted before, but the forum administrator always restored it. When the original poster noticed the public uproar caused, he immediately abandoned that account.
Qiao Yu browsed through several forum posts, all related to Don't Hit Mage. Some asked for their contact information, while others wanted to spar. There were even some who asked to be allowed to record these battles.
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Chapter 130: Borrowing an Account
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
"Tell me the truth," Qiao Yu looked at Qiao Yue with interest.
After reading so much, Qiao Yu was no longer depressed about Qiao Yue hiding things from him. Instead, he wanted to know what other secrets Qiao Yue was hiding.
Qiao Yue rolled her eyes but clutched her wound, whimpering. Qiao Yu shot her a smile. "The monk may flee, but the temple will remain. Even if I don't tell you today, you'll still learn the truth sooner or later."
"Besides," Qiao Yue began, almost exasperatedly, "There's nothing in it for me. Why should I reveal anything?"
Qiao Yu quirked a brow. If anyone else had said that, he would have been fine even if they chose not to tell him what he wanted to know. But this was Qiao Yue. How could he allow her to hold so many secrets from him? Qiao Yu vowed he would dig up as many as he could.
"Benefits? What do you want?" Qiao Yu countered.
"Let's see... How about you lend me your school forum account to tinker with?" Qiao Yue giggled.
"No," Qiao Yu retorted before he could process his words.
"Why not?" This time, it was Qiao Yue's turn to ask.
Qiao Yu frowned. "Managing the school forum account is part of the Student Council's responsibilities. I can't let just anyone use it. Why would you want to borrow it, anyway?"
Seeing how serious Qiao Yu was, Qiao Yue sighed and thought things were over. However, Qiao Yu's tone changed, and he continued, "That being said if I'm present while you use it, I can allow you to take a peek."
Although Qiao Yu's suggestion was an open compromise that moved her, she was wary he would be drawn into conflict if some people were to learn she was trying to find out more about her mother.
While Qiao Yue was lost in thought, Qiao Yu spoke up. "What do you think?"
"I'll... go with your suggestion." Qiao Yue could sense that Qiao Yu was on the verge of backing out, so she hastily agreed.
"Since you've agreed, you'll need to keep your end of the bargain!" Qiao Yu refused to allow Qiao Yue to weasel her way out of their agreement.
Qiao Yue sighed and began recounting her sad past gaming with Zhou Lan. They mostly coincided with what Qiao Yu had learned, save for a few details here and there.
"You practised all the different roles because of her?" Qiao Yu asked in disbelief.
Qiao Yue nodded, recalling the terrifying memory of Zhou Lan's gameplay.
"Amazing! Is it someone you like?" Qiao Yu sighed dramatically.
Qiao Yue paled. Somehow she felt violently offended by the suggestion.
Qiao Yu regarded Qiao Yue curiously. Nothing he had heard from his second or third brother was true. From what he could piece together, Qiao Yue grew up with a silver spoon, albeit in a dangerous environment. It was a paradox to Qiao Yu. Qiao Yue did not sound capable of running a criminal enterprise, so where had she been all these years?
Qiao Yu's sudden silence caught Qiao Yue's attention, and she looked at him expectantly.
"What's wrong?" Qiao Yue asked.
"It's nothing. I'm just tired after our few matches. Would you like to look at the forums now?"
Qiao Yu had probably guessed that she wanted to investigate something, but she went with the flow. Getting up was a chore, with pain flaring in her ribs.
Meanwhile, Qiao Yu opened the webpage for the school forum, entering his password discreetly. As she expected, the interface was vastly different from the one she had seen on her phone.
"The red ones are deleted posts." Sitting in his wheelchair, Qiao Yu slid to Qiao Yue's bedside and highlighted those things.
A quick scan informed Qiao Yue that many posts were deleted daily. Some were deleted by the original poster, while others were by the management. Many more were sent and deleted because of mistakes. Only a select few deliberately stirred up trouble. After scrolling through a few pages, Qiao Yue jumped to the end.
"Are you looking for posts about your mother?"
She expected no less from someone who helmed the Student Council. Qiao Yu connected the dots quite quickly. From a few disjointed pieces of information, he solved what Qiao Yue was looking for on the school forum.
Since the cat was out of the bag, Qiao Yue did not hide her motives, nodding in response to her Fourth Brother's question. Originally, she didn't want the Qiao family to know why she was investigating her mother because she was afraid someone would interfere. If she desperately denied her motives, there was a chance she would lose valuable information regarding her mother.
The forum archives were vast. Qiao Yue leafed through posts from students several batches before theirs. Her mother had gone to the school some 20-odd years ago. She was probably the third batch of students to graduate from the school, just around the time the school forums were first established.
To her surprise, very few posts, deleted or otherwise, remained in the school database. It was abnormal. Wouldn't the inception of the new forums be the time when they were most lively? Yet, why couldn't she find anything relating to her mother?
Qiao Yu noticed Qiao Yue's confusion and explained, "There are some things not even the Student Council have access to, and only the principal or members of the board of governors may inspect."
Qiao Yue frowned. Was Qiao Yu trying to say this was a dead-end?
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