Author's Note: Hey y'all! Did you miss me? My bad y'all I didn't mean to go MIA like that, but life happens so yeah. Nearly gave myself a heart attack because I thought my assignments were due soon, but it's actually August 7 and we're in July, woops! I am back and I think it is time to actually pick a chapter to do a part two as previously requested. I've decided that perhaps the chapter, "A Pursuing Past" can get another part. Now, I'm going to try and write this correctly so prayers for the muse and I. By the way, I think a few different ideas from the comments will be combined together here. Let's start angels❤️

By the way, I have also joined wattpad now as CreativeAngel42 however I won't be posting this story there. That will be reserved for completely original works. I'm going to have slower updating time now because I'm more into a reading rather writing vibe. I may have come upon a serious writer's block so the muse is at war right now. Thank you all and I will do my best💪

This starts right after Jian Yang leaves the arena after his encounter with Tong Yao and Lu Si Cheng. After that, we'll cut to the first encounter of the team and Tong Yao when she comes to join. Also, forgive me for any inaccuracies I'm trying my best here. The Muse just loves to be delusional and there's no stopping her.

Jian Yang POV:

My teammates were jumping around like baboons acting like we hit the jackpot at the end of the rainbow. Idiots. We had just won the Spring Playoffs against ZGDX, but I was anything but pleased. What was Tong Yao doing here? I had been searching high and low, from every hospital to every neighborhood, and I couldn't find her anywhere. When I did find her, she was at my game. If not to watch me, what was she doing here? My own teammates wouldn't dare get in between us so it wasn't them that called her here.

I sat in the arm chair located in the living room of our base, twiddling my fingers together as I pondered. My eyebrows furrowed as I came to a realization. She had to know team ZGDX. There was no other explanation, but what work could she have with them? I knew that God Ming was retiring due to his speech, but Tong Yao was no where near capable enough to replace him. Last I checked, she barely understood the mechanics of the game when I played. No. She had to be here for me. The realization that she still loves me must've hit.

My teammates had asked me to join them for a celebration dinner. Instead, I shooed them out like pesky flies. I needed time to think about this and process. Lu Si Cheng. What was he doing there? Why did Lu Si Cheng step between us? From what I know, they don't know each other. In fact, that whole team was practically known to be monks. Despite the millions of fangirls, that captain had never batted an eye at a single woman. What was going on?

Frustratingly, I slumped back into the chair, pulling at my hair. I groaned at all the flashbacks. I had been through Hell ever since Tong Yao tried breaking up with me. My intention was never to hurt her, she just wouldn't listen. Her mother didn't even let my mom and I come visit at the hospital. They stationed police officers outside her room for crying out loud. To top it all off, that wench had the audacity to file a restraining order against me. I had girls dying to be with me and she actively put herself at a distance. What she didn't know is that I always got what I wanted. I was after all Jian Yang, king of the industry.

After the 'incident', if that's what one would call it, the team changed. They didn't talk to me as much, almost as if they were scared of me. A captain should have authority over the team, that's good. The club forced me to go to therapy for my alleged anger issues and the therapist tried telling me I'm bipolar and gave me medication to take. Apparently this was the best way to avoid catching a case. Only because the club threatened to take me off the team did I go, but I disposed of every single pill. Like my mom said, I was just misunderstood. There's nothing wrong with me.

I groaned at the thought that Lu Si Cheng interacted with my girl. What did the two do when I left the stairwell? How could I let them be alone together? I needed Tong Yao to understand me, she had it all wrong. I had to convince her she made a mistake; I'm the man of her dreams after all. I stood up from the chair. I know how to fix this. I glanced down at my hands that had a few hair strands stuck to them. Darn. I ended up pulling at my hair again. This always happened when I got stressed.

Lu Si Cheng POV:

That girl hadn't left my mind since I saw her. I wanted to know more about her. She's so cute. Wait, what? I shook my head to clear my thoughts. She's just a stranger. most likely, that was our first and last meeting. Since God Ming had told us beforehand he would retire after the Spring playoffs, we were scouring for a new mid. Lao K was a little grumbly about it, but seeing God Ming wince and fret over his hand when playing was far too painful to witness rather than not find a replacement. After a few test matches, we had settled on a player named Smiling. Xiao Rui was still in the process of convincing them to join last I heard. Suddenly, the manager gasped as we were deboarding the bus to head into the base.

"Guys, Smiling accepted! We have a new mid!" He announced.

God Ming was the first to congratulate us and made sure we weren't too sulky. He was already overprotective to a person he hadn't met. What if they became egoistic joining our team? What if they leave halfway through as they can't keep up with the pressure? I sighed as more questions swirled through my head. We'll deal with them when we get there.

Xiao Pang and Lao Mao were the happiest when they heard they'd be arriving tonight. What surprised us all the most is when Xiao Rui informed us that our mid would be getting their own room.

"Why does the new player get special treatment? Even our captain shares a room," Fatty whined.

"Because, beloved support, our new mid is a girl." The team widened their eyes.

We were going to be the first OPL team of China to have a female e-sports player. This should be interesting. My mind drifted back to the girl I saw earlier as the others gossiped amongst themselves. I overheard God Ming share some comforting advice to Lao K who had been pouty at his departure from the team. Thankfully, he calmed down when God Ming informed us all that he would stay with the team as our new coach. Now the team was in a much more celebratory mood. Even Lao K was excited for the new mid despite his denial.

My mind was still stuck on the situation from earlier though, thoughts tangled together like a spider's web. I was curious as to who that girl was who shared such a deep past with Jian Yang. My eyes had glanced at her a few times during the match only to find her intently staring at the big screen, as if scrutinizing the players' moves. She didn't seem to be there to fangirl over the players' looks. Unfortunately, in the whole messy scenario I had failed to get her name.

I came back to reality as the doorbell rang, Xiao Rui rushing to attend to it. Lao Mao and Fatty scurried behind him like squirrels as the rest of us waited at our desks. We all were expectant to see the new mid, even if the grief of God Ming's departure still hung over our heads like a rainy cloud.

Tong Yao POV:

I didn't expect to be staring at the door of the ZGDX base so soon. The reason I had attended the Spring Playoffs was to get a glimpse of the team that was allegedly recruiting me. I still couldn't believe it and nearly thought I was being scammed. Only after hearing God Ming's speech did I think to accept the invitation for the mid position; I'd take my chances. I had done some background research and couldn't find anything that told me the men of this team were dangerous. No negative news, no threat-filled rumors. Rather than being worried about playing professional matches, I was stressed about how many men were in this field. I knew I was taking a big step out of my comfort zone considering two years ago I could barely stand in the same room as another man. My therapist had given me the clear to try this out, but warned me not to push myself if my mental well-being worsened.

Xiao Rui, the manager, had told me I could move in today so here I was, hesitantly about to ring the doorbell, half of me wishing no one would answer. To my surprise, three excited puppy-like men greeted me at the door. I laughed nervously as they ushered me inside. I hope they couldn't tell my hands were shaking as if an earthquake were happening. Unfortunately, the secret I had planned on keeping was about to be revealed as I realized the man who had saved me earlier today, Lu Si Cheng, was right in front of me, staring with his mouth agape. How could I forget that he was the captain of the very team I was joining? The two us stared at each other. At least I'd be safe.

"You're the new mid?" He asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Wait, you two know each other?" A man a bit smaller than the captain stood by his side. His raven-colored hair only made his piercing gaze on me stronger.

I sighed as I realized I had to tell them eventually. Jian Yang was also in the industry and I was bound to encounter him so it was best if the team knew the issue beforehand.

"Your captain saved me from my ex earlier." I crossed my arms, bracing myself for the bombarding questions.

Lu Si Cheng just shrugged as his teammates' eyes glanced back and forth between us like ping pong balls.

"I think we need to have a discussion." God Ming, who I later found out is now the coach, had us all sit on the couches in the base's living room.

"I think introductions are in order first. I'm the one who messaged you, manager of this team, Xiao Rui." The man wearing glasses stood to shake my hand.

After all the introductions, I took a moment to think as my eyes swept over the group. The team sat all in front of me as if I were about to give a school presentation to them; however, my instincts weren't tingling and I didn't feel any danger here. Gathering some courage, I gave up some secrets of the past. I told the group an incident had happened with Jian Yang and I that resulted in a restraining order against him that happened to have recently expired. I didn't mull on the details; I wasn't ready to discuss those yet. I left out the fact that he had beaten me so badly I spent a week in the hospital. I also left out the fact that I had spent months in therapy due to the incident and that they were my first attempt at integrating back into society alongside men. My explanation was concise and to the point, leaving a lot of minds to wonder what really happened. Even if I felt my new teammates were trustworthy, we were still practically strangers. Thankfully though, even if they did pick up on the fact that I left out chunks of the story none of them, not even the captain, pushed for more. I skipped forward to today, explaining how Jian Yang had realized I attended today's game and brought me to the stairwell.

"Thankfully, Cheng-ge was there." I shifted my gaze to meet his, trying to analyze his feelings. "He was able to prevent the situation from worsening so thank you."

I was glad I could thank him properly and I saw his gaze soften ever so slightly, unless my eyes were playing tricks on me. My eyes broke the intense eye contact and I knew that he had realized my story was only the half-truth, yet he didn't ask questions. In fact, the entire team remained silent, processing what I had said. They seemed to be in shock and I was concerned what would happen when if the full tale were to be revealed later on.

"I'm glad you didn't let that person stop you from fighting for your dreams," Lao K said.

Surprisingly, he was the one that spoke first. The rest nodded in agreement. They praised me for my courage and I could see genuine respect for me in their eyes. I was touched. Xiao Rui reassured me that the team would be extra careful in their interactions with CK Gaming. I made sure they knew I have nothing against the rest of the team and Jian Yang was really the only issue. The rest of the CK Gaming members had been nothing but kind to me.

"Our Missy is so mature. Welcome to the team!" Fatty said.

Since it was late, Fatty ordered some food for dinner. I spent the next few hours slowly getting to know the team, the captain remaining silent throughout. He would only chuckle a little at the banters among the teammates, never engaging in them himself. He and the manager often went off to the side, having serious discussions in the corner. Such a mysterious guy.

Lu Si Cheng POV:

The new mid's arrival has brought quite a shock. Never could I have imagined that the girl I had spent hours worrying about would be standing in front of me as my mid. Nonetheless, I was glad for the opportunity. I knew she hid most details in her story and wondered what had actually happened to make her so guarded. I knew the others hadn't observed close enough, but I was used to looking beyond what's shown; it was one of the given perks of graduating from law school. Her hands were shaking and I saw how she gripped the fabric of her clothes to still them. She did make eye contact with us, but shifted it frequently, not staying on a single person for too long. It seemed I'd have to spend some time breaking down those brick walls she put up. At least I finally got her name, Tong Yao.

We all went to bed soon and the next morning God Ming immediately started her training. Unexpectedly, the mid was an early riser which completely contrasted the team's lazy schedule. Xiao Rui took this perfect opportunity to change our training schedules and start at seven in the morning. My seat was next to Tong Yao at our desks. Every so often I'd glance over at her, seeing her intensely discuss the game with God Ming. She was knowledgeable and very intelligent, often providing alternatives and countering God Ming's ideas. I detected the shock in his eyes as he wasn't used to someone being able to strategize like him, much less actually debate his ideas. Our mid seems to be full of surprises.

Over the course of the next few days, our team played countless matches including some with other teams. Tong Yao had gradually been able to adjust to being on a professional team and had been able to tame her aggressive playing style. Lao K had changed his own style so that our mid and jungler were now an excellent power duo. I noticed Tong Yao becoming more comfortable with the teammates, often joining us to go out and eat after she declined the first few times. She also wasn't as restricted to her room and would start conversations with the others herself. Often, I overheard her discussing skincare with Lao K or debating with Fatty about the different restaurants in the area. Even with Lao Mao, she was able to discuss all the different types of exercises in her routine impressing us all. She may be short, but there was no doubt she was as strong as a bear. I knew she was still wary and that it was all because of Jian Yang, but I was proud to say it was my team that she was able to become relaxed with.

During the Drawing Ceremony, I had Tong Yao sit between Lao K and I, distancing her from CK Gaming's jungler. I like to believe the severe glaring from our team kept him at bay along with the fact Tong Yao didn't spare him a glance. I'm glad she wasn't freezing up at the sight of him and instead was able to present a strong aura, a message to him and everyone else in the stadium that she wasn't someone to be messed with. It definitely helped in keeping many teams at a distance who were itching to talk with her. Instead, they all settled on very obviously staring at her as if they had never seen a woman before.

Unfortunately, the opening match was set with us against CK Gaming. We practiced for hours, often staying up late into the night and then waking up early the next day. Tong Yao's schedule had gotten so bad that we had to essentially force her to get some rest, but after a few hours she'd be back playing the matches again. We were also all pushing the livestream deadline and had to do long livestreams to catch up, consequences of our lazing around. Tong Yao often avoided the comments as Jian Yang would join her every livestream. Xiao Rui had said we can't ban him as it would start a new gossip for the commentators, but him joining and commenting on every livestream was doing that anyways. Tong Yao took the next best course of action which was to give the livestream a silent treatment.

Obviously, as captain, I had to put a stop to this. I knew Tong Yao was an amazing player and I had no doubt that given the chance, she just might be able to defeat me. Therefore, I did the most logical thing in this situation.

"Shorty, solo match?" I raised an eyebrow at her.

She had been grumbling for a few minutes, clearly pissed off at Jian Yang's attempt at encouraging comments. The fans were starting to ship them together which darkened Tong Yao's mood. She had been as grumpy as a kitten lately, often snapping over little things because of the tension. Although, she did always apologize and our team was understanding enough to provide her with leniency. It didn't help that she was on her period. She did reveal that to Lao K in secret considering the two had developed a sibling-like bond and the rest of us had 'accidentally' overheard the conversation. I had Xiao Rui cut her hours down too to compensate her for this week of pain. Luckily, she was extra happy hearing this announcement and it had tightened the team's bond even further now that she wasn't running around to cut our throats off.

"Why not?" She immediately sent an invite to me, glad to have something to distract her from her ex.

As expected, the fans immediately shifted topics and were now focused on us two. Our teammates stared at us surprised and immediately gathered behind Tong Yao's chair to root for her. Traitors.

The match against CK Gaming was tomorrow so this would be good practice and a way for me to gauge the extent of Tong Yao's skills. As I predicted, she was far more skilled than she let on, instantly getting the first kill of our solo match resulting in cheers from her mini audience.

"You all know I'm your captain right?" I stared pointedly at my teammates who were happily conversing about crayfish.

The prize for this match was that the loser had to buy crayfish. The rage at Jian Yang and food as a prize had increased the competitiveness of our mid, who was ruthlessly attacking me in game. Who know she'd be an even a bigger foodie than our support? My team, who I had spent months with, had decided to take the mid's side and were hopeful at my failure. This was betrayal.

As the second round commenced, I was able to push forward in the mid lane while playing defensively. I allowed the creeps to push forward and as she focused on protecting her tower I dived in for the kill. Two more to go. I heard Tong Yao mutter faint curses under her breath and chuckled. Adorable. Now we were tied 1:1 and her play had become more calculated. She even managed to distract me and caused me to miss my ultimate, much to the pleasure of my teammates. We both kept playing and managed to each get another kill, leading to the final round where the winner would be decided based on this last kill. I could hear the chants of the team behind her, excited to use me as a means to their crayfish. Unfortunately for me, Tong Yao had managed to get the last hit despite both of us being on our last sliver of health.

"Yes!" She pumped her fist in the air and high fived the rest of the teammates behind her.

They all looked at me expectantly as I nodded, taking Tong Yao with me to get the crayfish. The others got comfy on the sofas as they awaited our return with the prize.

Tong Yao POV:

Despite our late celebration meal, we had all managed to go to sleep at a fairly normal time, otherwise known as midnight, and were now ready to power through today. Lucky had let me know last night that Jian Yang was extra pissed after the livestream and reminded me to be careful. I thanked him and assured him that my team and I could handle him. After having a long conversation with him, I felt more relaxed knowing that a single Jian Yang couldn't do anything with such an amazing team by my side.

Scattering throughout the base, we managed to make it to the arena on time after a tense bus ride. I reassured my teammates that I was fine even though they kept sending nervous glances my way. Lao K and Lu Si Cheng had been glued to my sides ever since we deboarded the bus. Every time the door to our break room even shook a little, everyone perked up as if they were about to head into a real battle. Although it was a bit too much, I was appreciative of them all.

Finally, we made our way on stage, my eyes completely avoiding the other end where the opposing team sat. Just focus on the game, it'll be over soon. I took a deep breath and we started. As the game progressed, I grew frustratingly tired. Jian Yang kept targeting me and although Lao K did his best to throw him off, I had still been killed one too many times. Luckily, we won the first round even though my stats had been terrible. Not a good first impression. I could hear the announcers' backhanded comments, especially focused on Jian Yang and I. There had been an extremely stupid trend on the internet that pit Lu Si Cheng and Jian Yang as male leads competing for my attention, the supposed female lead. I was here to play games not be apart of a new drama serial.

Back in the break room, I rested my head on the table. To add to the humiliation that Jian Yang was causing, my cramps were attacking my stomach like mini soldiers in a warzone. I groaned as Lu Si Cheng immediately approached me. Xiao Pang had let me know they knew I was on my period when I noticed the extreme change in their behavior over the past few days. I was just glad they didn't act grossed out and shun me. I would gladly take this princess treatment, especially because my hours had been cut down now thanks to the captain. I was worried how I was going to complete them with this amount of pain.

"Tong Yao take this." Lu Si Cheng handed me a pain killer and glass of water that I gratefully took.

"Thanks." I knew it would be a while before it went into effect.

Typical me always loved torturing myself to see the level of pain I could endure. A repeated cycle every month where I succumbed to rolling around on the floor before eventually taking medication. I love being a woman. After a while, we were seated back on the stage ready for the next match. If we won this one, we'd win the whole game which I was looking forward to. I was in no mood to interact with Jian Yang for any longer. During the break, the team and I discussed tactics and I managed to convince them to take the early game route so here we were, selecting our Shikigami to swiftly end the match. The whispering in the audience grew louder as the match started. My mind and hands were no longer in my control and were simply put, bloodthirsty for revenge. My fingers clicked and clacked at the keyboard as my mind was reading through my journal, thinking back to all of the statistics I had calculated. Jian Yang tried to corner me in the game once again, but to his dismay I knew he would do this and I was able to countergank him with Lao K's help. Once again, our team won the game and the audience loudly cheered in approval. I felt like a lion that had just successfully trampled a gazelle for their next meal.

We stood and walked over to shake hands with the other team. This would be my closest interaction with Jian Yang today and to say I wasn't nervous would be a lie. I shook the hands of each member of CK Gaming before finally reaching the jungler. I didn't meet his eyes and tried to quickly move on, but he held my hand tight, not allowing me to move. The line came to a standstill and if he didn't let go soon the audience would get another topic to discuss.

"Let go," I said firmly.

Before he could reply Lao K pushed me forward into Lu Si Cheng who quickly led me by the arm down the stairs. Lao K grabbed Jian Yang's hand and with a forced smile gave a handshake that he begrudgingly returned. To the audience, it would look like I stumbled and the captain steadied me. I'd rather have rumors with him than relive a relationship with Jian Yang.

After a very tense game and grueling day, we finally were able to get on the bus. Now that the team was able to head back, they resumed their lighthearted banter, poking fun at each other. My brain was able to relax and the muscles I had unknowingly tightened were also released from the pressure. I was honestly ready to take a nap now.

Ai Jia POV:

The match between ZGDX and CK Gaming had ended a few hours ago and the internet was brewing up a storm, creating illogical fantasies of the ZGDX mid and captain. They had no idea how much trouble they were making for Tong Yao and I knew her ex would be throwing a tantrum soon. The public had stirred a witch's pot of spells and a potion was about to be thrown. Lucky called to inform me that Jian Yang had left their base in a rage and he was sure the jungler would be headed down this way. I stood tapping my foot outside the door to ZGDX. I knew Tong Yao would be stepping out any minute and as expected she opened the door ready to rain some thunder down on a pesky ex.

"Ai Jia?"

"My wifey has a few words of advice for you." I flipped the phone in my hand so the camera was on her.

Jin Yang started off with some very colorful vocabulary for the CK jungler before telling Tong Yao to be extra careful and that maybe she should just ignore him and go back inside.

"Jin Yang you know he won't leave without talking to me. Besides, I'm going to take this opportunity to really knock some sense into his thick skull," Tong Yao replied.

"Yao-Yao!" Tong Yao cringed at the distant yell of her Jian Yang.

"Go on, I'll be right here. Don't worry," I reassured her.

Hanging up the call, I took a few steps forward and stood off to the side. I knew Jian Yang could see me and I wanted him to so he wouldn't try anything. Tong Yao was like my little sister and I'd be damned if anyone thought of hurting her, even if that person was my best friend of over ten years. I saw Tong Yao approach him, gentle but firm with her steps. Watching closely, I saw how she squared her back and could sense her anxiety rolling off her body like tidal waves. This all felt like a toxic drama serial and all that was left was some dramatic piano music in the background. Regrettably, before I could move forward Jian Yang took the opportunity to lunge at Tong Yao. Absolutely not.

I don't even know when I reacted. All I know is I heard Tong Yao's yelp and just knew I had to protect her. I had thrown myself at Jian Yang, separating the two from the forceful hug he had pulled her into. Pushing him into the ground, I was sitting on top of Jian Yang, pummeling him into the ground like a punching bag. He didn't seem to hit back out of shock I assume and had made a pathetic attempt in covering his face. I heard Tong Yao shouting at me to stop, but I couldn't. How dare this bastard? I had been there throughout the whole recovery process. Every step of the way, I had made sure Tong Yao knew that not all men were like Jian Yang. I nearly spoiled her as much as my wifey, making sure she never felt left out. The two of us had spent countless days and nights building up her confidence and I was proud to have the opportunity to teach her one of my favorite games. She had impressed me with her skills so much and became a worthy opponent. All that effort I put in was an attempt to be a catalyst for her healing journey. My mind fumed at the thought that Jian Yang was going to tear down my little sister like shreds of a paper because he was a misogynistic little prick.

Eventually, I felt arms pulling me back from Jian Yang whose face was now bloodied and represented a deformed Picasso painting. I panted with heavy breaths, trying to calm myself. The rest of my teammates had surrounded Jian Yang, glancing back and forth between him and I. Not all of them knew the full history behind Jian Yang and Tong Yao, but they knew enough that Jian Yang was an imbecile. Still, I knew they were staggered to see me nearly kill someone. Maybe I took it too far.

"Ai Jia, take a deep breath. It's okay." Hierophant was rubbing my left arm to calm me down.

I stood straighter, shaking off the hold on me. I realized Lu Si Cheng was on my right and finally analyzed the situation. I gave a glance to the two men at either side of me and took a firm step forward, lifting a finger to point at Jian Yang who stared at me with wide eyes. His hands were gathering a pool of blood that was spilling out from his nose like a fountain. To my pleasure, no one had bothered to check on him more than the fact that he was still conscious. Heck, he wasn't even offered a measly tissue. Serves him right.

"Never, and I mean never try to contact Tong Yao again. I swear next time you'll be six feet underground." I turned on my heel and walked over to Tong Yao.

I hoped I didn't scare her too much, but thankfully she offered a small smile. That was all I needed to see right now.

"God Ming, take the team and everyone back inside while we deal with this," Lu Si Cheng said.

I looked over Tong Yao, making sure she wasn't hurt. After checking and her repeated statements assuring me that she was fine, we all headed inside. Tong Yao seemed focused on the bruises on my knuckles and offered to bandage them so I obliged.

Lu Si Cheng POV:

"If you try something like this again, we're handing you over to the police. Don't push your luck dimwit," I warned Jian Yang.

It was quite shocking to hear yells this late outside the base and when both the ZGDX and YQCB team had run outside we were greeted with an astonishing scene. Jian Yang and Ai Jia, who were known to be best friends, were literally dueling to the death as Tong Yao tried to get them to stop. I met Hierophant's eyes as he came running out of his base too, his teammates on his tail. We both swiftly grabbed Ai Jia as my teammates gently led Tong Yao back from the scene. I was thankful that although Ai Jia had acted rashly, he had done well in protecting our mid. Credit should be given where deserved.

Due to the fierce warnings and tiger-like glares around him, Jian Yang sulked off with his blobfish face and finally left us alone. The rest of YQCB headed back to their base, not wanting to crowd up ours and send Tong Yao into a panic. Hierophant and I walked side by side back to the ZGDX base. As we entered, Tong Yao had seemed to just finish up bandaging Ai Jia's hands. I saw him ruffle her hair and thank her, putting a beautiful smile back on her face. Oh how I loved her pearly smile.

I approached the group that had surrounded the couch and stood behind it, resting my hands on Ai Jia's shoulders. I gave him a gentle squeeze as a thank you and he placed on of his hands on mine, leaning back into the couch. YQCB and ZGDX shared a tight-knit bond and I was glad that Ai Jia didn't let his strained friendship with that abuser control his moral compass.

"Let's try not to beat people to death now buddy." I wasn't going to fully scold him because for all I cared he could murder Jian Yang and I'd go use my law degree to bail him out.

Unfortunately, as captain I had to set a good example.

"At least wait for us so we can also get a few hits in," Hierophant joked.

That sent the group into a laughing fit as we all immediately started discussing how bad Jian Yang looked. For his safety, he better come up with a good excuse for the fans as to how he went from looking like a model to a losing wrestler overnight. So much for setting a good example.

"We should head back now. Tong Yao whenever you need, our whole team is just a call away. Our mid here has shown you that nothing can hurt you." Hierophant patted Ai Jia's back.

Tong Yao thanked him and the two bid their goodbyes and headed back to their respective base. Now our team focused fully on Tong Yao, making sure she wasn't hurt anywhere.

"Really guys, I'm fine! I have too many overprotective brothers now for anyone to mess with me," she grumbled.

The rest of them chuckled as they came to the realization that they were being overbearing.

"Are you sure they're all brothers?" Lao K raised an eyebrow at her before looking at me.

I was still standing behind the couch and was the only person behind her. She knew it and I saw the rosy tint rising in her cheeks. Her face was colored like a strawberry and it didn't help my senses that she smelled just like one too. Damn Jin Yang. I knew it was her best friend who bought a lot of her products and from the look in her eyes whenever I saw her, I knew she was trying to set me up with my mid. Luckily for her, I was more than happy to play along.

"Okay time for bed!" God Ming clapped his hands as he ushered everyone off to their rooms.

I think my feelings were becoming a little too obvious and for Tong Yao's sake, I had to keep it under control. I couldn't confess and add further to her life's mess when her ex was still jumping back into her life like a yo-yo. First, his case had to be closed and then I'd set mine for an appeal. I'd have to warn God Ming and Lao K to keep their jokes to a limit. The two had been on my back ever since they discovered my feelings for our mid and often used this as blackmail to do their bidding. I'd get them back though. Patience is bitter, but its fruit is sweet.

THE END!

My goodness I spent like two weeks writing this one. I had like no motivation to be honest and today I really put forth some effort. Honestly, I was writing like a paragraph every two days before I managed to write a a few thousand words today and finish this. This is also my longest chapter yet so I hope it's worth it after the long wait. I am quite busy these days so my updates are now going to shift to very infrequent and long waits. I can't push out chapters everyday like I was unfortunately😔The muse has decided to wallow in bed until further notice so basically call me sleeping beauty now. Somehow, I've also managed to have like three of my chapters including this one set up so that the next scene is something related to nightmares. Might have to revisit the drawing board again, but even if I do keep the same topic I'm sure that the context is too different for the idea to severely overlap. Anyways, I appreciate all the kind comments and support, love you all and till next time angels❤️❤️❤️