Chapter 65: A Golden Rank and a Kind Heart

When frustration hit, Hua Mu’ai always wanted to find somewhere to vent.

Playing games was undoubtedly the best choice.

Unfortunately, her skills were not that great.

“Dead again!”

Staring at the screen that had once more turned black-and-white, Hua Mu’ai was so angry she nearly smashed the mouse.

At that moment, a timid voice sounded beside her.

“Um… excuse me, can I sit here?”

Hua Mu’ai turned her head impatiently and saw that familiar face mostly hidden behind thick bangs and black-rimmed glasses.

It was that quiet girl from yesterday—the one who played like a total gaming monster.

“No one’s there, sit.”

Chu Yueyao sat down and turned on the computer.

She seemed to be in an exceptionally good mood today, her entire presence full of barely contained excitement.

Even the air around her felt lighter because of it.

Hua Mu’ai glanced at her but said nothing.

After a while, Chu Yueyao spoke first.

“I went to the live audition today.”

“Oh,” Hua Mu’ai replied casually.

“I… I passed.”

Chu Yueyao shared her joy.

She clutched the edge of her shirt, and her usually dim eyes were now filled with what looked like an entire starry sky.

“Ah—”

Realizing she was too excited, she let out a tiny gasp, then quickly covered her mouth in embarrassment.

Hua Mu’ai originally wanted to mock her dramatic reactions, but seeing that pure happiness, the words stuck in her throat and she swallowed them back.

“What audition?” she asked offhandedly.

“It’s the ‘Sing with Tianlanxing’ event!” Chu Yueyao explained. “They were holding open auditions at the Linhai Sports Arena today, so I went to try.”

Hua Mu’ai’s fingers paused on the keyboard.

Why was it this stupid event again?

Would it ever stop haunting her?!

“Each city can only send twenty people, and five cities are participating,” Chu Yueyao explained the rules. “The hundred finalists will appear one by one in a livestream, where judges will score them and pick the top twenty. Then there’s the semifinals and the final, and finally they select the one champion who can perform on stage with Lord Tianlanxing!”

By the end, her voice was overflowing with yearning.

Hua Mu’ai felt uncomfortable for no reason and spoke with mild irritation.

“You’re a student—shouldn’t you focus on studying instead of messing with all this random stuff? What are you going to do in the future?”

Chu Yueyao froze, then whispered in defense, “I… I’m an arts student. Singing *is* part of my curriculum.”

“And the teachers said if I get good results in this event, it’ll be a great addition to my future résumé…”

Hua Mu’ai had no comeback for that.

“This event means a lot to me,” Chu Yueyao lowered her head. “Because… because it’s Lord Tianlanxing.”

“My favorite song of hers is ‘Star Wish.’”

“Every time I listen to it, I feel healed.”

Such straightforward, burning admiration made Hua Mu’ai’s whole body feel awkward.

She pretended to stare at her own screen, but her ears were so red they could drip blood.

“Got it,” she muttered vaguely. “Well… good luck then.”

As soon as she said that, something seemed to occur to her, and she immediately changed the subject.

“But today, you *must* carry this lady to Gold!”

Chu Yueyao blinked at her puffed-up expression, then suddenly laughed.

Her smile was like the first ray of sunlight breaking through clouds—clean and warm.

“Okay.”

—

Half an hour later.

Hua Mu’ai stared at yet another black-and-white screen, trapped in long, deep silence.

She turned her head toward the girl beside her, who was wholly focused on the game.

On the screen, Chu Yueyao’s Blade of Shadows executed a smooth, flowing combo that instantly deleted the enemy carry.

“Victory!”

The huge victory banner popped up.

Another win.

From Silver II to Gold IV, Chu Yueyao had not lost even once.

It had been complete dominance—every game MVP.

Hua Mu’ai had picked “Happy Wind Boy” the entire time, and her performance was still tragically awful.

But no matter how much she fed, Chu Yueyao always managed to carry the entire match by herself, dragging the team to victory.

The most ridiculous part was that every time Hua Mu’ai got ganked by the enemy jungler, Chu Yueyao would appear in the enemy’s jungle the very next second and solo-kill that same jungler to avenge her perfectly.

Eventually, the enemy jungler reacted to her like a mouse spotting a cat.

At one point, Hua Mu’ai even had an illusion.

It didn’t feel like she was playing a game—it felt like she was watching a movie.

And Chu Yueyao was the unstoppable superhero cutting down everything in her path.

As for herself…

She was probably the mascot whose only job was to shout “666.”

So the noob… was actually her?

Hua Mu’ai muttered to herself, doubting her gaming talent for the first time.

“Um… are you okay?”

Chu Yueyao removed her headphones, sensing her unhappiness.

“Perfectly fine,” Hua Mu’ai sat up straight immediately, stubborn as ever. “This lady is simply thinking about which hero to use next.”

Chu Yueyao blinked but didn’t expose her lie.

“It’s getting late, I should head back.” She glanced at her phone.

“Mm.” Hua Mu’ai nodded, watching Chu Yueyao pack up.

For some reason, her heart suddenly felt a little empty.

“Oh—right.”

Chu Yueyao slung her canvas bag over her shoulder, then suddenly stopped and turned to bow deeply to Hua Mu’ai.

“About yesterday… thank you.”

Hua Mu’ai was confused. “You already thanked me.”

Under her bangs, Chu Yueyao’s eyes were clear and firm.

“Yesterday’s thanks was too casual. If it weren’t for you, I’d probably still be hiding in corners like before, without the courage to fight back.”

Hua Mu’ai turned her head awkwardly.

“Tch, this lady just couldn’t stand those annoying flies. It had nothing to do with you.”

“Mm.” Chu Yueyao smiled, her brows curving gently. “Either way, I still want to thank you.”

She hesitated, then added softly:

“You… you remind me of someone.”

“Who?” Hua Mu’ai asked without thinking.

“Lord Tianlanxing.”

Hua Mu’ai almost spat blood.

“You—what nonsense are you talking? How could I be anything like *that* person?!”

“I’m talking about your personality,” Chu Yueyao said seriously. “Just like the rumors say about Tianlanxing—sharp tongue, soft heart, and gentle at the core.”

“…”

Hua Mu’ai felt her face heating up so much she could fry an egg on it.

“I’m leaving now. Goodbye.”

Chu Yueyao waved at her, then ran out of the internet café.

Hua Mu’ai sat alone in front of the computer for a long time.

She stared at the Gold-rank emblem on the screen, feeling a swirl of mixed emotions.

After exiting the game, Chu Yueyao’s words echoed uncontrollably in her mind again and again.

[You’re very similar to Lord Tianlanxing.]

[Sharp tongue, soft heart, gentle at the core.]

“Shut up!”

Hua Mu’ai shot to her feet, her face bright red, the chair screeching loudly against the floor.

People around her looked over in surprise.

Only then did she realize how embarrassed she looked and quickly pulled her hat down, rushing out of the café.

The cold night wind brushed against her face, cooling her down a little.

But the irritation in her chest refused to settle.

What on earth was she annoyed about?

—