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Sharpening The Knife Doesn’t Delay The Cutting of Vegetables With The Bow [eSports]: Chapter 10
10. Dong Qiyi
“Leaving?”
Jiang Man, who was enjoying late-night snacks and watching dramas at the front desk, looked up and saw a handsome young man in casual clothes walking out, greeting her.
“Yeah, Sister Man.”
Chen Xingran nodded towards her.
Jiang Man looked him up and down, her gaze landing on Chen Xingran’s face, which couldn’t hide his delicate features even without any makeup.
Chen Xingran had short tousled hair, revealing a full forehead and straight eyebrows. His eyes were light in color, like transparent amber, with a hint of maturity and calmness that didn’t quite match his age. His nose was petite and well-defined, and his lips were exquisitely shaped, resembling a beautiful youth stepping out of a comic book.
“I envy you so much. Youth is truly a wonderful thing.”
Jiang Man shook her head in admiration. “After playing games all day, your face doesn’t even get oily. Unlike me, sitting in front of the computer for more than two hours turns me into an oil field. I even have to touch up my makeup constantly.”
Looking at him again, with all that collagen on his face, he remains resistant to any damage. I’m really envious!
Chen Xingran smiled. “Not at all, Sister Man. You don’t look old either.”
Jiang Man immediately bloomed with joy. “Oh, really? Well, I’m actually 27 years old, hahaha. Are you coming tomorrow? I’ll save a spot for you. How about I give you a free membership so you can get a 20% discount on the gaming cabin in the future?”
“I’ll come tomorrow. Sure, thank you, Sister Man.”
Not only do I need to practice my gaming skills, but I also have to rely on live streaming to make money. I’ll definitely be coming to this gaming cafe in the future. The environment and equipment are top-notch, and it’s conveniently close to the school. Getting a membership here is definitely worth it.
After bidding farewell to Sister Man, Chen Xingran walked out of this bustling Starry Gaming Cafe and headed towards the direction of the school.
It was already late at night, but the street outside the campus was still lively. Students filled the streets with their vibrant energy, drinking, enjoying barbecue, and gathering to watch competitions.
As Chen Xingran walked along this street, he couldn’t help but feel a sense of nostalgia, as if his soul had become younger along with his rejuvenated body.
In his previous life on the path of ancient martial arts, he had almost reached the end. For many years, he hadn’t made any progress and couldn’t find an opponent who could rival him in the realm of martial arts. But now, in his second life, with a younger body and new goals, it was enough to satisfy him.
Today’s live streaming session was also quite successful.
After teaching the Thunderclap techniques in the training room, Chen Xingran played several solo matches in the ranked mode. With his almost overwhelming sword skills, he was able to secure a chicken dinner in almost every game. Occasionally, he made mistakes when getting too caught up in chasing enemies, forgetting about the shrinking safe zone and getting killed by the toxic gas, or being ambushed by long-range weapons from an unknown direction.
He played aggressively, always seeking fights whenever he encountered an enemy. In each game, he would accumulate at least seven or eight kills, and sometimes even more than ten kills. He practically dominated more than half of the map, which resulted in a significantly high increase in his ranking points. By the time he finished streaming, his solo rank had reached platinum.
Within the game’s ranking system, there were divisions such as Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum, Earth Fiend, Heavenly Star, and Asura.
Reaching Asura wasn’t the ultimate goal either. The threshold for the Asura division was 3000 points, and beyond that, rankings were based on scores. This division concealed various streamers, pub-stomping champions, and professional players. It was a battleground where everyone fought fiercely, with strategies and tactics more cunning than a fox. It could be described as a divine battle.
In just one day, he had gone from Bronze to Platinum. Although the initial divisions were relatively easy and provided more points, reaching higher divisions became more challenging. Without kills and headshot points, even winning a chicken dinner wouldn’t grant many points. So it became increasingly difficult to climb the ranks, but his progress was already impressive.
Hope to encounter stronger opponents tomorrow.
Chen Xingran was in a good mood as he leisurely strolled back to the school.
“Isn’t this the person who said they would achieve a ranking in the New Star Cup?”
Before entering the school gate, Chen Xingran heard an unabashed burst of mocking laughter from behind.
He turned around and saw a group of five or six young students, who seemed to have just returned from eating outside. They emitted a pungent smell of barbecue and alcohol. The person surrounded by them was someone Chen Xingran had seen before.
Dong Qiyi.
The one who spoke was a classmate of Dong Qiyi. His tone carried a hint of drunkenness as he glanced at Chen Xingran and continued, “You’re coming back so late. Were you out having fun? This won’t do, you know. The school’s New Star Cup is about to begin. Don’t you need to train? If you make a last-minute effort now, maybe you can even climb from Bronze to Silver.”
“Hahaha…”
“When did the entry requirement for the New Star Cup become so low that even Bronze players are aiming for rankings?”
“Don’t know their own limitations.”
The classmate’s words triggered another burst of laughter around them.
Dong Qiyi didn’t laugh. He looked at Chen Xingran with a complex expression, his gaze falling on the transparent ID card in Chen Xingran’s hand. “Did you go to the gaming café?”
Chen Xingran’s eyebrows slightly furrowed. “Yes.”
His tone was calm, as if the mockery was directed at someone other than himself.
Dong Qiyi was taken aback, feeling that the Chen Xingran before him seemed somewhat different.
Getting into a conflict and making a bet with Chen Xingran was not his intention.
When he encountered his former high school classmate at the Capital eSports Academy, Dong Qiyi was initially quite happy. Back in high school, he was young and hot-headed, often picking on Chen Xingran who was favored by the teachers because of his good grades. After entering the eSports academy, Dong Qiyi had intended to build a good relationship with Chen Xingran and find an opportunity to apologize. However, Chen Xingran had been avoiding him, not giving him a chance to speak.
Even in their general courses, when Dong Qiyi wanted to sit next to Chen Xingran with a book in his hands, Chen Xingran simply stood up without saying a word and moved to another seat. Faced with the astonished gazes of others, Dong Qiyi felt embarrassed and ended up saying some unpleasant things.
Dong Qiyi couldn’t recall the exact words he said. They were spoken in anger, and he might have mentioned something about Chen Xingran’s parents. As a result, Chen Xingran, who had remained silent throughout, erupted on the spot.
The two of them got into a conflict and almost came to blows. When Chen Xingran was restrained by other classmates, he glared at Dong Qiyi with red eyes, as if he wanted to devour him alive. Although he had always been gentle and mild-tempered in high school, at that moment, it seemed as if he wanted to tear Dong Qiyi apart.
“What gives you the right to say such things? Just because you’re good at games, does that mean you can look down on others? I got here based on my own merits, not because of my parents, and they wouldn’t do such things! Just wait, on the day of the New Star Cup, I will definitely defeat you…”
After uttering these words, Chen Xingran pushed away the surrounding classmates and walked away without looking back.
Dong Qiyi stood awkwardly in place, enduring the gazes of other classmates and walked away with a dark expression on his face.
He knew he had said the wrong things. Back in high school, he was also a prominent figure, and apologizing to Chen Xingran, who had always been as gentle as a rabbit, would definitely damage his pride.
Furthermore, news of their bet spread throughout the school. One was the popular figure who became the school’s heartthrob as soon as he enrolled, while the other was a genius teenager who topped the practical combat class, creating a buzz around them. Dong Qiyi’s friends by his side, who couldn’t stand how Chen Xingran was adored by girls solely because of his looks, encouraged him to beat Chen Xingran to the ground, making Dong Qiyi even more unwilling to apologize.
Dong Qiyi looked at Chen Xingran. The expression on the young man’s face was no longer filled with anger as before. He looked particularly handsome in his white casual attire against the backdrop of the night, tall and slender. His demeanor was also calm, just like his amber-colored eyes, as if he didn’t care about anything.
Perhaps… he has let go of his anger?
Dong Qiyi thought to himself, coughed softly, and tentatively said, “Um… you should get enough sleep. Your health is not good, and if you stay up late and develop any health issues, it’ll be troublesome for someone to carry you to the hospital.”
Although he intended to soften his words, they inadvertently came out harsh, sounding more like mockery than concern.
“Okay,” Chen Xingran calmly nodded in response, “Is there anything else?”
As someone older than this group of brats before him, and with much more life experience, Chen Xingran understood Dong Qiyi’s intention as soon as he spoke.
It seemed that the relationship between the original host and Dong Qiyi was not as bad as he had initially thought.
However, all of that had nothing to do with the present Chen Xingran.
Because in his pursuit of defeating Dong Qiyi in the New Star Cup, he had practiced tirelessly day and night, often staying up late. As a result of disrupted sleep patterns and a burdened heart, he collapsed in his dorm room, losing his young life without anyone knowing.
Upon careful consideration, it was actually related to Dong Qiyi as well.
If Dong Qiyi truly wanted to apologize, then he shouldn’t have directed it towards him. The person who truly deserved an apology was no longer around.
For Chen Xingran, whether Dong Qiyi liked or disliked the original host, he had no interest in getting involved. According to the original host’s intentions, it would be enough to completely defeat Dong Qiyi in the game he was most proud of during the New Star Cup.
“…It’s fine.”
Not receiving the expected response, Chen Xingran looked at him as if he were observing a mischievous child causing trouble everywhere, with a calm and condescending gaze. This made Dong Qiyi feel a sense of frustration. “Anyway, you should go back to your dormitory earlier and stop wandering around.”
The classmates who were previously mocking Chen Xingran also sensed that something was off between the two and closed their mouths.
Wasn’t it said that Dong Qiyi and Chen Xingran had a bad relationship, even having a confrontation during a public class?
Why did it now seem like Dong Qiyi was genuinely concerned about him?
Chen Xingran nodded and swiped his campus card, entering the school gate.
As Chen Xingran’s figure was about to fade away, Dong Qiyi gritted his teeth. “Wait!”
Chen Xingran paused, turning around with a puzzled expression.
“…About the things I said about your parents that day, I’m sorry.”
Dong Qiyi made up his mind, regardless of their classmates still being present. “Please apologize to Uncle and Aunt for me.”
“…”
Chen Xingran looked at him for a moment, his gaze calm and serene. There wasn’t much emotion visible, but his amber eyes seemed to penetrate directly into Dong Qiyi’s heart, causing his heartbeat to pause for a moment.
It seemed like things had really changed compared to before.
Their eye contact was completely different.
After a long while, Chen Xingran shook his head slightly.
“There’s no need. They are no longer here.”
After saying that, Chen Xingran no longer paid any attention to him and walked towards his own dormitory.
Dong Qiyi stood there, stunned.
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