Meng Xingyu’s astonishing move left everyone stunned.

If Meng Xingyu really wanted to participate in the Heroes’ Cup, all he had to do was shout about it on Server One, and plenty of people would be willing to team up with him. Why go all the way to Server Six, practically begging for a spot?

Was he trying to generate publicity?

Bai Xiaomeng was indeed skilled, and her equipment was not bad either, but she was not particularly famous in the game. There was even less reason to compare her popularity with that of Meng Xingyu, who was a celebrity. He simply had no need to do this.

Besides, Bai Xiaomeng’s dislike of him was obvious. Meng Xingyu had come all the way to ask her to team up with him. Was he a masochist?

Zhu Huai waited for a while in the world chat channel. After Bai Xiaomeng sent those question marks, she disappeared. He searched for her ID, only to find that she was offline.

He could not make head or tail of this drama.

After logging out of the game, Zhu Huai opened Weibo. He spent some time checking the trending topics on his main account and blocked another batch of haters before switching to a different account.

Zhu Huai was an art student who had studied painting. During the year and a half when he was unemployed, he had suffered such devastating blows that he had only managed to get through it by distracting himself with games. Without realizing it, he had become an internet addict and a devoted fan of the Sword Shadow series. He had even created a separate Weibo account where he regularly posted comic strips about amusing gaming incidents and beautiful illustrations. His art style was highly distinctive, instantly recognizable at a glance, and before he knew it, he had attracted two hundred thousand followers.

However, he had not logged into the account for more than three months. Having gone so long without holding a stylus, his hand had grown somewhat rusty.

Zhu Huai connected his graphics tablet and spent some time drawing a chibi-style character from the mobile game, then posted it on Weibo.

ZhuZhu Huai: Making a wish. [Image]

【Grandpa, the blogger you follow has posted an update!】

【That’s the greatsword from the mobile game! Does ZhuZhu play the greatsword class in the mobile game?】

【I bet I’ll outlive the author. When will the next chapter of the Master and Disciple series be updated?】

【ZhuZhu, do you still remember the unfinished plot threads you left behind by Daming Lake? 】

【What are you wishing for? An orange-grade weapon?】

【Reply: No, a teammate.】

【You’re going to participate in the second Heroes’ Cup?!】

【Reply: Mm-hm.】

【It’s been ages since you last livestreamed, hasn’t it? Are you going to livestream your drawing today?】

Back when Zhu Huai’s Weibo account first became popular, a well-known artist had accused him of hiring a ghost artist to draw for him in order to generate publicity. The reason for the suspicion was that Zhu Huai had gained a hundred thousand followers shortly after opening his account, and almost all his posts consisted of finished illustrations, with no information about the drawing process. This was unusual for an artist’s Weibo account.

The accusation was completely groundless, and Zhu Huai had initially ignored it. But a few days later, that blogger posted several illustrations from other games. Their compositions, colouring, and poses were strikingly identical to those in several of Zhu Huai’s recent posts.

That artist had more than five hundred thousand followers and had also made a name for himself by drawing fan art for the Sword Shadow series. Since the two fandoms overlapped considerably, quite a few fans came forward to ask what had really happened. Most remained rational and asked about the circumstances in a relatively polite tone, simply wanting an explanation. Some, however, were more aggressive and far less courteous.

Zhu Huai could endure insults from haters, but he could not tolerate being smeared with accusations of plagiarism. As it happened, the supposedly original illustrations that the blogger had posted were actually Zhu Huai’s own work. He had drawn them casually a long time ago, before his style had become so distinctive, and he himself could no longer remember which website he had uploaded them to. It was quite impressive that the blogger had managed to dig them up.

Later, to prove his innocence, Zhu Huai started a livestream on a streaming platform. He did not show his face and used a voice changer. He brought out the preliminary sketches of the illustrations suspected of being plagiarized, then drew another illustration live. Only then did he clear his name, and in the process, he thoroughly slapped the blogger in the face.

However, the incident left Zhu Huai with a lingering psychological shadow. He simply could not tolerate being accused of plagiarism. After that, he began livestreaming every so often, and sometimes held small giveaways on Weibo, drawing illustrations for netizens free of charge. In this way, the account known as “ZhuZhu Huai” gradually accumulated a little over two hundred thousand followers.

Three months earlier, he had received the script for The Disloyal Minister and devoted himself to studying the plot. He had not logged into the account since.

Thinking about it, it really had been a long time since he had livestreamed. Zhu Huai posted a link to his livestream. By the time netizens followed the link into the room, he had already started drawing.

This time, he turned on the camera, but pointed it at his hands and graphics tablet. The young man’s fingers were slender and fair, with clearly defined knuckles. His nails were neatly rounded and clean, each bearing a healthy, pale crescent at its base.

【Those hands! I’m absolutely in love! Do all the artists who draw for us have such divine hands?!】

【My mother asked me why I’m licking the screen!】

【Judging by those hands, I boldly guess that the artist is a boy.】

【I’m new here, so I have to ask: isn’t the artist’s voice clearly that of a little girl?】

【Let an old hand explain it to you. Every time ZhuZhu livestreams, he uses a different voice: the deep, handsome male voice, the mature woman’s voice, the motherly voice… Can someone tell me where ZhuZhu bought his voice changer?】

Zhu Huai occasionally paused to read the comments and interact with the viewers. « A voice changer? Just buy one on Taobao… What am I drawing? Take a guess… Yes, it’s for a friend… Uh, no, not a girlfriend, and not a boyfriend either. It’s for a senior I know. Please don’t make wild assumptions. »

【Why do I feel like ZhuZhu is blushing?】

【Be confident. Remove “why do I feel like” and the question mark. Every time he talks like that, he’s embarrassed.】

【Awww, ZhuZhu actually has someone he likes!】

The viewers teased him until his face turned bright red. Fortunately, they could not see him, so he explained, « Don’t make things up. It really is a senior. He takes good care of me at work, and I want to give him a present to express my gratitude, but I don’t know what to get. »

As he said this, he suddenly felt that giving only a drawing really would be a little too shabby. He decided to ask the viewers for advice. « What do you usually choose when giving gifts to seniors? »

【A thermos! A certain model from XX brand costs only 159 yuan! I just bought one for my dad, and it’s fantastic!】

【If you’re financially comfortable, how about a massage chair?】

【An automatic foot-washing and massage basin would work too!】

Zhu Huai was left with black lines all over his mind. He spoke up. « The senior I’m talking about isn’t very old… How old is he? He should be around thirty this year… He isn’t married, and he’s single… He’s handsome, very mature, steady, and gentlemanly… »

【All right, then just wrap yourself up and send yourself over!】

Zhu Huai’s face flushed crimson, and he could no longer keep interacting with the viewers. He simply shut his mouth and pretended to be mute. What on earth were these netizens thinking about all day long? Weren’t they afraid the police would come and arrest them?

After spending two hours drawing, Zhu Huai rubbed his shoulders and cervical spine, which had grown sore from remaining in the same position for so long. He had not sat like this for such an extended period in a long time, and his body was finding it difficult to bear.

During a free moment, Zhu Huai went to considerable trouble to obtain Meng Xingyu’s contact information and dialed the number without hesitation. His assistant answered the call.

« Hello. Meng Xingyu is currently working and is unable to take your call. May I ask what this is regarding? »

Holding his phone, Zhu Huai replied in a calm voice, « Hello, this is Zhu Huai. »

It took several seconds for the person on the other end to react. When she finally spoke, her tone was hesitant and cautious. « Hello. »

Zhu Huai paid no attention to whatever had made the female assistant so cautious. He said, « There is something personal I would like to discuss with Meng Xingyu. May I ask when he will be available? »

« Please wait a moment. » As soon as she finished speaking, the background noise on the other end disappeared as well. The assistant had presumably covered the microphone. After a while, a voice could be heard again, this time a man’s, tinged with impatience. « This is Meng Xingyu. What do you want? »

Zhu Huai’s brows drew together slightly, and he lowered his voice a little before getting straight to the point. « This weekend is Dad Qi’s fiftieth birthday. Are you free to come over for a meal? »

Meng Xingyu’s tone was strange. « Me? »

« Yes. » Zhu Huai recalled the barely concealed anticipation in Dad Qi’s voice when Zhu Huai’s mother had called last time and he had been standing nearby. He made his request. « Turning fifty is an important milestone birthday. I hope you can find the time to visit him, considering how hard he worked to take care of you. »

Meng Xingyu said nothing. The only sound coming through the receiver was his breathing, which revealed nothing of what he was thinking. After a long pause, he finally spoke. « I’m sorry. My schedule is very tight, so I’m afraid I won’t be able to make it. »

Zhu Huai was not surprised by the rejection. He simply felt sorry for Qi Baojia. « If that’s the case, then there’s nothing we can do. » After that, the two exchanged polite farewells and ended the call.

After spending several days lounging around in the company dormitory, Zhu Huai had spent those same days playing games. His intention to participate in the Heroes’ Cup was not just empty talk. His equipment had already been upgraded to the highest level, and he had practiced team-ranked matches with his teammates several times. Gaigai could only play the Beggar’s Sect, so Zhu Huai had asked him to practice another specialization as well. Once the round of sixteen began, teams would be able to ban characters. If the opposing team banned the Beggar’s Sect, their entire team would be left helpless.

Zhu Huai still had not met the friend Hua Rouya had mentioned. According to Hua Rouya, this friend had been held up by other matters on three separate occasions and had barely logged in over the past few days. Zhu Huai had yet to play with him.

Zhu Huai had also made time to visit Server Six. Perhaps because Lijiang recognized his ID, he had replied to Zhu Huai’s in-game mail, directly rejecting the invitation to join the team and stating that he had no intention of participating in the competition. This was undoubtedly a blow to Zhu Huai. If he could not assemble a five-person team, they would either have to disband on the spot or register for the 3v3 competition, with the extra person serving as a substitute.

However, 3v3 did not offer the benefits associated with being a brand ambassador, so it was obviously less attractive than 5v5. Nevertheless, since Zhu Huai had promised his teammates that they would participate in the competition, he remained enthusiastic about 3v3 and had Gaigai create a team and register it on the official website.

Two days before the weekend arrived, Zhu Huai began packing his luggage. During the peak of his popularity two years earlier, he had earned some money and bought a house in his hometown, a small third-tier city. He did not usually live there himself, so he had simply let his mother and Qi Baojia move in. Qi Baojia worked as a taxi driver in the city, while Zhu Huai’s mother worked as a cashier at a chain supermarket near the residential complex. Their salaries were not high, but with few financial burdens on the family now, she treated the job as a way to earn a little spending money of her own. Their daily life was ordinary yet warm and cozy.

A little warmth stirred in Zhu Huai’s heart.

 

Translator : DarNan