Chapter 131: Turn of Events
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
Qiao Yue grew somber as she reached this conclusion, which showed in her expression.
"I could give you my password if you want. Would that help?" The disappointment on Qiao Yue's face was so obvious that Qiao Yu could not help but feel guilty.
Qiao Yue hummed weakly as she lay in bed, preparing to go to sleep.
It was as if she had seen the light of hope, only to realize it was an illusion. The complete and utter devastation she felt could not be quantified.
Guilt weighed heavily on Qiao Yu's mind. Not knowing what to say, he beat a quick retreat, exiting the room. "Rest well."
Qiao Yue sighed. She picked up her phone and logged into the system through Qiao Yu's account.
Qiao Yue felt caged. The Old Master Qiao refused to relent, while the rest of the family insisted that her mother had stolen something, though nobody knew what it was. Getting Qiao Yu to let her use his account had been a hassle; even now, she wondered whether it had been worth it. Did she need to borrow KA's intelligence network?
Qiao Yue pinched her nose bridge, feeling a headache thrumming behind her eyes. She had always tried to separate KA from the organization since many knew that KA was her right hand. While she knew for certain that the higher-ups in KA were her people, there was no guarantee that spies had not infiltrated their ranks. If she were to involve them and one of them happened to be an agent for someone else with ill intentions towards her mother, all her efforts would be for nought.
Qiao Yue's mind wandered as she browsed the forums, sifting through the posts from front to back. This time, unlike earlier, when Qiao Yu was around, Qiao Yue only clicked on posts that might be related to her mother. She scanned each post methodically, looking for any sign of her mother.
Just as she was about to give up, a photo entered her line of sight, immediately stealing all her attention.
There were several photos of students undergoing basic military training. Boys and girls from each class smiled into the camera with youthful exuberance. Qiao Yue eyed each one and soon found a familiar face.
Unlike the other classes, there was only one photo of her mother's class; strangely, it was not a group photo. There was her mother standing in military garb. It merely showed her side profile. Even so, her mother stood out in uniform.
Qiao Yue heaved a sigh of relief, and a sense of joy rushed into her chest.
She saved the photo of her mother, feeling relieved. She did not care about the time she had spent. That time was well spent since she had found something related to her mother. This new clue renewed Qiao Yue's belief that she would find out more by using the school as a springboard.
The harvest greatly improved Qiao Yue's mood, and it was not long before sleep claimed her.
Elsewhere...
While Qiao Yue was happy, others did not share her good mood. One such individual was the jungle player they had trumped.
There were three types of people who played those games. The first treated it as a form of entertainment and relaxation; the second viewed it as a means to pursue their dreams of becoming a professional gamer; the third viewed it as a tool to gain attention.
The jungle and mage fell into the third category.
The jungle player was a boy who enjoyed gaming with girls. Listening to their flatter was one of his greatest sources of self-satisfaction.
The girl who played the mage was, in fact, a somewhat famous streamer. Glory was the latest and most popular MOBA game. There were fewer females than males who played Glory, so it was a treat when he discovered she was also a streamer. The jungle player enjoyed the attention she showered on him, more so whenever she gifted him things for doing well.
The girl had gained fame by streaming her games, building a small following in Glory. She was often regarded as a goddess by many boys.
That day was no different. She had been live streaming her practice of a new champion. She knew her skills were not spectacular, but that did not stop her from trying her best. Still, the attention on her did not stop the rise of other streamers. The more time passed, the fewer fans she would have. Arriving at that conclusion, she tried different ways of attracting other people's attention.
... And the method she thought up was to find a partner. All would be well if she could find someone to make up for her deficiencies. When she tried this out, the number of boys following her stream decreased, but the number of girls increased. Some even sent her private messages, leaving gifts if only she would give them the boy's contact information. This led to a few girls receiving certain passwords they should not have had.
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Chapter 132: Being Remembered
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
Just like now, a wall of posts filled her vision.
[ Why isn't the jungle doing more? The opposing jungle and mage are suppressing him! ]
As soon as this comment appeared, another group chose to hurl ridicule.
[ True. Streamer, your support is too slow. They aren't doing enough. ]
[ It's not just the skill difference. The jungle is to blame. He lost all composure after dying at the hands of the enemy jungle twice in a row. How many kills has he missed this game? If he can't pull his weight, you should invite me instead! Even I play better than he does. ]
Although unhappy, she still had to keep up appearances since everything was being streamed live. Smiling, she said, "The jungle isn't that bad; our opponents are too strong. I'm trying out a champion, so I'm not playing very well, either."
Many people watching her live stream began echoing her.
[ Ya... The enemy is too strong. Our dear streamer is still learning the ropes, so it isn't strange she is having trouble. ]
[ I started a game in high spirits, but after watching that mage score a Penta-kill, I feel like I should quit. ]
[ Haha! It's good you know how to face reality. ]
The discussion caused a wave of laughter to erupt in the chat.
[ That mage is pretty good. I never noticed them until they got that Penta-kill. I had to watch a replay to see what happened. Look at how they timed that entrance! Those dodges were sublime. I haven't seen such incredible skills before. ]
[ +1 above. I watched the replay too. The more I watch the mage, the more it feels like they are the team's support. The mage took skill shots for the team and even funnelled kills their way. ]
[ The previous post says it all. I thought something was off when I checked the replay... Everything makes sense if the mage is playing like a support champion. If I had such godly support for a teammate, I'd have wings to fly! ]
Countless posts discussed the opposing mage's ability, drawing attention away from the female streamer. It left her dissatisfied, but she went along with the flow dutifully.
At this moment, a post caught her eye.
[ Has anyone played during the game's open beta? I feel like the mage is very similar to a certain big shot. ]
Perhaps the comment would have passed unnoticed in other circumstances, but on this occasion, it did not. Eventually, someone responded.
[ You're referring to 'Don't Hit Mage', aren't you? The mage's playstyle does resemble that character; even the overly protective supporting manoeuvres are similar! ] A hardcore streamer noticed, adding his penny's worth to the conversation.
[ Overly protective? What do you mean? ] Another asked.
An individual with the username 'Hardcore Fan' explained, "For all those newbies out there, let me give you a history lesson! Don't Hit Mage was a legend in Glory's open beta. If you want to know more, you can visit Glory's forum page. They were nicknamed 'Boss' because of an individual they used to play with called 'Find the Jungle'. Find the Jungle enjoyed playing as a mage, but she was not very good. However, she had Don't Hit Mage by her side. Anytime a player killed Find the Jungle, Don't Hit Mage would PK that person tenfold – which was considered a relatively low number of deaths."
[ Why would Don't Hit Mage pamper Find the Jungle so much? ]
Although it was phrased as a question, everyone could tell there was a great deal of surprise behind it.
[ There's no doubt about it! I witnessed it firsthand since I was the subject of their pursuit. I still remember that figure stalking in the shadows... that game was a nightmare! ]
Several lines of laughter filled the screen. Although the female streamer tried to concentrate on her game, her attention constantly wandered to the comments section.
[ Hey, Shroud! Do you think that jungle earlier was 'Find the Jungle'? They looked like they had great synergy. ] Someone else chimed in.
[ I doubt it. Find the Jungle was a girl who only played female mage champions. ] The die-hard fan replied.
[ She's too spoiled! The envy! I want that mage as my friend to share in the love she receives! ]
The words were typed with a feminine flourish, which spoke to the female streamer's heart.
Earlier, she had been jealous that all the comments were on the mage's side. However, a new thought came to mind now that a chord had been struck within her.
[ It's just a guess. It'd be embarrassing if we got the wrong person! Besides, it looks like the mage already has a partner. It wouldn't be nice to come between them. ] Those who were still rational tried to sway him.
Nonetheless, the disclaimer was enough to put a damper on several hot-headed girls posting in the stream's comments section. Soon, the comments section calmed down.
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Chapter 133: Hidden Concerns
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
The female gamer's live stream caused Qiao Yue's fame in Glory to skyrocket. Players who had yet to hear about 'Don't Hit Mage' soon began to question if 'Cooking Wine' and the former had any relation.
Many people waited with bated breaths for Qiao Yue to come online, hoping she would dispel their doubts, but she did not reappear.
At this moment, Qiao Yue was leaning against the headrest, staring at the photo of her mother that she had found the other day.
The past few days had been busy. After finding a photo of her mother in military fatigues, Qiao Yue tirelessly dug for clues in the forum.
Reading a large number of posts every day gave Qiao Yue a headache. In addition to those photos, she perused several posts that coincided with the period in question, fearing she would miss out on any clues.
Fortunately, her hard work paid off. She finally found some information hidden in the photos and text.
She discovered another photo with her mother's silhouette. After enlarging and cropping the photo, she uncovered the image of a man in military uniform reflected in her mother's eyes.
If she needed to hazard a guess, that person was most likely her mother's military training instructor when she was in school.
As one of the country's elite schools, the instructors hired for military training were not simple people.
Bearing that in mind, Qiao Yue investigated all the instructors of her mother's cohort but could not find anything about her mother's class. Information on her mother's class or instructors was suspiciously absent from the forum archives.
Just then, Qiao Yue's alarm sounded. She put away her computer and picked up a book, pretending to read. This was because Qiao Jing had returned home.
It had not been five minutes since she picked up her book when she heard a familiar knock at the door.
"Please, come in," Qiao Yue said.
Qiao Jing's eyes fell on Qiao Yue as soon as he entered. Relief washed over him when he noted she was studying her computer science text.
Qiao Yue never thought she would experience what most others felt when their parents checked in on their children's studies. She was already 18!
"Do your ribs still hurt?" Qiao Jing asked, sitting at the edge of Qiao Yue's bed.
Qiao Yue wanted to say she was perfectly fine but rolled her eyes, asking a rhetorical question, "Do you need to ask what is obvious? If I say I'm in pain, will you let me skip make-up lessons?"
Qiao Jing stared straight at Qiao Yue, but he was the first to avert his gaze. "What do you think?"
Qiao Yue gulped. "I think it's fine."
A half-smile spread across Qiao Jing's face. "You can take make-up lessons when the pain passes."
Qiao Yue's face fell. She wanted to tell her brother that she could attain full marks without having to for make-up lessons.
"Brother, I don't want to go for make-up lessons," Qiao Yue whined dejectedly.
Qiao Jing never pulled punches when it came to one's studies.
Qiao Yu had only three days of rest before Qiao Jing packed him off to school. Qiao Jing's reason had been: 'Since there's nothing seriously wrong, you should go to class. You hurt your leg, not your brain'.
Qiao Yue suspected the real reason Qiao Jing insisted Qiao Yu return to school was so that he would not get to play games with her every day.
As for her? Well, Qiao Jing had arranged for a home tutor to fill in the gaps in her knowledge.
Seeing that Qiao Jing remained unmoved, Qiao Yue continued, "Brother, why do you force us to study like this?"
Qiao Yue was honestly curious. Neither she nor Qiao Yu shared the same parents as Qiao Jing. Qiao Yu was one thing, but what about her? What was she to him?
After a moment of silence, Qiao Jing replied, "I hope that you and Qiao Yu will have something to call your own, regardless of where you end up in life."
Staring into Qiao Jing's eyes, Qiao Yue suddenly understood what he meant.
No matter what they wanted to do in the future, knowledge was the foundation of their career. Even if Qiao Jing was suspicious of her identity and did not know what she knew, he believed she should get a good education.
Qiao Yue chuckled wryly. "Brother may seem cold, but he really cares for us."
Hearing Qiao Yue's words, Qiao Jing's expression did not change, nor did he answer.
"Since Brother is so concerned for our wellbeing, I shall say it. Otherwise, how will he know? Even if you're too shy to admit it, I'll say those words for you!" Qiao Yue knew that Qiao Jing would not let her get in over her head, but she still found joy in teasing him.
Qiao Jing glanced at her coldly. "Stop being so noisy."
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Chapter 134: What Do You Know
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
Qiao Jing's abashed look made Qiao Yue laugh out loud, but this laugh tugged at her wound, causing her to gasp in pain.
Qiao Jing quickly got up and walked to the bed, wanting to help Qiao Yue lie down, but Qiao Yue grabbed his wrist.
"Brother, I've been bored all day. I want to go out for a walk," Qiao Yue said.
Qiao Jing frowned, unwilling to allow Qiao Yue to get up. However, Qiao Yue's insistence soon swayed him, and he helped her into a wheelchair.
After caring for Qiao Yue for so long, Qiao Jing had familiarised himself with caring for others. He was no longer as clumsy as before and did not jostle or aggravate her injuries.
Qiao Jing wheeled Qiao Yue downstairs, where Qiao Xin and the Eldest Madam were seated.
The sound of the wheelchair moving attracted the two's attention. The Eldest Madam's expression grew complicated as she watched Qiao Jing pushing Qiao Yue in her wheelchair. Qiao Xin was more straightforward, overflowing with jealousy.
"Second Brother, we have servants taking care of Qiao Yue. Why do you need to trouble yourself?" Qiao Xin harped unhappily.
Qiao Jing ignored her; instead, he pushed Qiao Yue out of the room.
"Xiao Jing, Xin'er is speaking to you. Did you not hear her?" The Eldest Madam frowned, disgruntled.
The Eldest Madam had spoken up not just on the part of Qiao Xin but herself since Qiao Jing did not even greet her, his mother.
Qiao Jing turned to his mother calmly and said, "Mom, I'm taking Xiao Yue out for fresh air." Without waiting for a response from his mother, Qiao Jing ushered Qiao Yue out the back door.
Qiao Yue noted Qiao Jing's relationship with his mother seemed strained.
It was the end of October, and the air had grown chilly in preparation for the winter months to come. Qiao Jing bundled Qiao Yue up in his coat.
"Qiao Yu told me about the other day," Qiao Jing began, almost as if he was commenting on the weather.
Qiao Yue stared at the leaves, now dyed various shades of red, brown and gold, a soft smile touching her lips. "Brother, what is it you want to ask?"
Qiao Jing pushed Qiao Yue to a small pavilion and said, "I won't ask about your past, but..."
Qiao Jing paused, seemingly hesitating.
Qiao Yue looked up at him, meeting his eyes that were as deep as a lake.
A few seconds later, Qiao Jing spoke, having organised his thoughts. "I hope your life will be easier from now on."
Every time Qiao Jing spoke like this, it filled Qiao Yue with the suspicion that he knew something. With the Qiao family's influence, discovering her past would not have been difficult.
Qiao Yue lowered her eyes. "Brother always says things I don't understand."
A breeze ruffled their hair. Qiao Jing's face was reflected in Qiao Yue's eyes, showing a bit of willfulness.
"Second Young Master, Fifth Young Master," the butler interrupted, "Fifth Young Master, your classmate is here to visit you."
The butler could tell that his young charges valued Qiao Yue deeply, so he also treated her with respect.
"Alright," she answered.
When Qiao Yue reentered the house, she saw it was Xu Hao.
Qiao Yu heard the sound of a wheelchair and turned around, wanting to talk to Qiao Yue, but happened to meet Qiao Jing's gaze, causing Qiao Yu to swallow his words.
"Second Brother," Qiao Yu greeted Qiao Jing.
"Qiao Yu." Qiao Jing acknowledged indifferently before addressing Xu Hao, "Xiao Yue's room is upstairs. Let's go."
Qiao Jing pushed Qiao Yue back upstairs while Xu Hao and Qiao Yu followed.
Unlike usual, Xu Hao was not carefree; instead, opting to maintain his silence in the presence of Qiao Jing.
It was not until they stepped into Qiao Yue's room and saw Qiao Jing off that Xu Hao patted his chest and sighed in relief.
"Your Second Brother is scary! It felt like a mountain weighed on my shoulders..."
Qiao Yue was puzzled. "Really? Second Brother's presence always feels comforting to me."
While Xu Hao was rendered speechless, Qiao Yu's expression darkened.
"Qiao Yue, can't you feel it? His presence is so cold it suffocates and drives the air out of people's lungs. When he looked at me, I thought our school's discipline master was staring me down, lecturing my ears off for cutting class..." Xu Hao trembled in exaggeration.
Qiao Yu may not have spoken, but his expression was unsightly.
He would be the first to say that he did not fear Qiao Jing. But whenever he saw him, it reminded Qiao Yu of a particular conversation they had regarding Qiao Yue's propensity to save people. After that conversation, Qiao Yu always felt uncomfortable around Qiao Jing and tried his best to avoid him.
"I didn't feel anything. Second Brother is just concerned about me," Qiao Yue chuckled.
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Chapter 135: Everyone Knows
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
Seeing the two expressions that seemed to ask, 'what on earth are you talking about?', Qiao Yue shook her head, too lazy to explain. Instead, she asked Xu Hao why he had come.
When she was hospitalised, her classmates came to visit her. It had only been two days since then, yet here he was. Xu Hao probably had other reasons for visiting.
Qiao Yue's question surprised Xu Hao. "President, didn't you tell your brother?"
"No, he's been a little busy these two days," Qiao Yu replied.
"What is he busy with? Why didn't you tell him about something so important? It's big news for the game!" Xu Hao clamoured excitedly.
The two questions piqued Qiao Yue's curiosity. She had not been online for a while, but not very long. What could have happened in the meantime?
"What's going on with the game?" Qiao Yue asked.
Qiao Yu was about to explain the situation to Qiao Yue when Xu Hao stopped him. With an enigmatic smile, he urged Qiao Yue to go online and have a look for herself.
Xu Hao's refusal to speak openly caused Qiao Yue to frown, but she still did as he suggested, clicking on the game icon on her laptop. It would take a while for the game to load. Something in Xu Hao's expression sent chills down Qiao Yue's spine.
"Would you please give me the gist so I can mentally prepare myself?" Qiao Yue pleaded, beginning to feel exasperated by all the secrecy.
Xu Hao chuckled. "Nah. It'd be more fun if you saw it for yourself."
By then, the game had loaded and was now waiting for input from Qiao Yue. She did not disappoint, immediately clicking 'enter'.
As soon as she entered the game, friend request notifications began ringing one after another, leaving Qiao Yue dumbfounded. What was going on?
It took two whole minutes before the sound of notifications petered out. Qiao Yue opened the friend request page and saw more than a hundred messages. She briefly considered whether she had done anything to offend someone for them to send so many people to beat her up.
"What's going on?" Qiao Yue squeaked, her face paling in fright.
Xu Hao burst into laughter. "I'll let you enjoy the limelight. Take your time. I'm sure you'll find people you'd like to game with!"
"Fourth Brother, what is all this?" Qiao Yue doubted she could get anything useful from Xu Hao, so she turned to Qiao Yu.
Qiao Yu sighed. "Your lane opponent in our last match was a streamer. Many people watching her stream saw how amazing you were and are now hoping to play with you in-game."
Qiao Yu had experienced much the same two days ago when he and Xu Hao loaded up their game clients to play for a bout or two. Who could have known that his screen would be bombarded by friend invites as soon as the game loaded? It was a shocking scene. Only after Xu Hao checked the forums did they learn what had caused this sharp uptick in attention.
Xu Hao could barely contain his laughter, adding, "It's not as simple as you think! Qiao Yue, your open beta account information was dug out. Now there's a host of gamers, mostly females, hoping you'd carry them in games."
"What do you mean?" Qiao Yue frowned, unsure what to make of this development.
"Go to the forum and take a look."
Xu Hao had been feeling quite happy lately. He did not think he would end up playing with such a celebrity through the game's random matchmaking.
At first, he thought that Qiao Yue was only good at playing support champions. However, that changed swiftly upon watching the replay of their match. Qiao Yue was a surprisingly competent mage player. More impressive was what several netizens managed to uncover, showing how Qiao Yue was an excellent all-rounder. He had made quite a tidy profit through sheer force of luck!
The best part was that Qiao Yue had agreed to join the team. Since they were practically teammates, Xu Hao treated her as such.
Following Xu Hao's advice, Qiao Yue quickly surveyed the game's forums. She did not even need to spend any effort searching; it was the post pinned at the top.
The original poster compared the video of 'Don't Hit Mage' to 'Cooking Wine'. Many people were immediately drawn to the similarities in playstyle; whether it was positioning, timing or the ability to sweep away threats with a grand entrance, they shared too much in common to be explained away by mere coincidence. Ultimately, the original poster concluded that these two IDs belonged to the same person.
Qiao Yue was left speechless. How much free time did these people have? Couldn't they have spent it elsewhere instead of chronicling her habits?
Sighing, Qiao Yue asked, "So what do we do now? Should I create a new account?"
The game was purely for entertainment; Qiao Yue did not want to attract unnecessary trouble.
Xu Hao guffawed happily. "Why should you create a new account? You should take advantage of your popularity to boost the team's fame! Although the main roster has already been decided, we can still add more members to our reserve, especially if they are good."
That was a surprise to Qiao Yue. She could not help but ask, "Are you thinking of forming another team? Are you planning to grow the team and expand its influence in the gaming industry?"
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