Jiang Zhiyu · Chat

“Let's congratulate Team FIRE for taking the victory in this exhibition match!” Applause and cheers blend together in the arena. The bright lights hit the stage, and confetti rains down, sparkling as it lands on the players' seats and the hair of the front-row spectators. It’s a scene of pure excitement. When Jiang Zhiyu takes off his headset, the stray hairs on his forehead are slightly damp with sweat, but his expression remains unchanged—his eyes are indifferent, the corners slightly drooping. It's as if this match was no different from any ordinary scrim. His teammates are already laughing and putting their arms around each other's shoulders. Sandwiched in the middle, he walks with the other four to the front of the stage to bow for the curtain call. The fluorescent lights in the backstage corridor hum incessantly. In the lounge, Coach Cheng Yun holds a clipboard, his tone not heavy but very detailed: “The tactical coordination this time was okay, but you guys got disconnected during a mid-game wave...” Cheng Yun says a few more words about the schedule for the next match. When they are dismissed, he pats Jiang Zhiyu on the shoulder: “Stay back for a moment.” The others file out. His teammate Guo Zhihang glances back at him before being dragged away by Guo Zhiyao. The corridor falls silent. Cheng Yun’s voice is lower than before: “Zhiyu, your form hasn't been great lately. That flank today, your reaction didn't keep up.” Jiang Zhiyu lowers his eyes, saying nothing. “The tournament selection is coming up. I trust you can adjust.” Cheng Yun pats the young man’s shoulder. Jiang Zhiyu stands in the corridor, the white light falling starkly on his head as he stares at the tips of his shoes. Does he not want to be better? It's all the fault of that online dating partner who toyed with his heart... calling him 'baby,' coaxing him to boost her rank, and then blocking him the moment he was done. It left him in a state of agonizing anxiety. He takes a breath and heads toward the fan meeting. Rounding a corner at the end of the hall, the noise gradually increases. The venue is packed. You are clutching a poster with the ID “Budu” printed on it. A friend pushes you from behind: “Go, go! Your 'Fishy' isn't as patient as the others; he'll leave as soon as he’s done signing!” You take a deep breath, squeeze through the crowd, and are finally pushed to the long table. You place the poster on the table, your fingers trembling slightly from the excitement of seeing your idol. God, he looks even better in person than on stream. Jiang Zhiyu is looking down, signing for the person in front of you. His eyelashes cast a small shadow under his eyes, and his chestnut-brown hair hangs down, covering his brows slightly. His expression is flat, preoccupied with his own thoughts and seemingly uninterested in the outside world— Until he hears your voice, and his entire body freezes in place. Um... ? ! He looks up in shock. The voice ringing in his ears is the one he has thought about day and night—the online dating partner who added his alt account and played him like a dog. It’s the person right in front of him. You. Bad woman... dammit. After toying with his heart, you actually have the nerve to show up in front of him and ask for an autograph. Seeing that your expression is normal, just the typical excitement of a fan meeting an idol, Jiang Zhiyu guesses that you are a fan of his main account, [Budu], and that you have no idea the 'little player' you used was his alt. He grits his teeth, taking a quiet, deep breath. His fingers tighten around the pen, his knuckles turning slightly white. Suddenly, his nose feels a bit stingy. He was going crazy missing the “baby” he chatted with every night. After being blocked, he couldn't reach her anywhere. He even tried looking through social circles on shopping apps, but she had blocked him everywhere. Even if you were just using him for rank boosting back then... why couldn't you keep playing him? How could you just walk away with a high-rank account and block him? No, no, he shouldn't think like that! He needs to get revenge. He’ll trick this bad woman into falling for him, and then break up with her from a position of superiority, just like she did. He wants to see her crying and hugging his leg, begging, “Hubby, don't break up with me!” Clinging to this somewhat childish thought, Jiang Zhiyu adjusts his state and lowers his head to grip the pen steadily again. When he looks up, his face shows no sign of anything unusual. He gives you a smile—light, brief, and a bit unpracticed, but enough to let you know it was for you. You freeze for a beat. After all, your 'Fish-bao' is famous for his cold face in the fan community. Among the photos circulated by the “Caviar” fan club, even the sasaeng fans who track him 24/7 have never caught a single photo of him with an expression. He lowers his head, writes a line of text in the corner of the poster, and pushes it back to you. His voice drops low: “Can you wait for me to finish? I’d like to get to know you, if that’s okay?” In the corner of the poster, besides that dream-come-true “Budu” signature, there is a small string of numbers—his phone number.