Chapter 10: Her Smile

“Rat-a-tat-tat!”
“D-d-d-d-d…”
“Bang!”
“Qing Qing Ziqin used Kar98K to kill Yan Zijun.”
“Lu Qi used M16A4 to kill Young Master Bai.”
Another fierce exchange erupted, but with Lin Ziqin’s single shot, the battle ended in a thrilling victory against all odds.

“Wow, the goddess is amazing!”
“Haha, Young Master Yan and Young Master Bai are so unlucky to have run into Goddess Ziqin.”
“Damn, look what that guy’s doing—he’s looting again!”
“He’s asking for it! That was Yan just now, and if he hadn’t shot you, you’d be dead!”
“Endless trolling, that brother of ours…”
The barrage of comments filled the screen, and the spectators were thoroughly entertained by the dazzling showdown. Yet, when their gazes shifted to Yang Hao, who was crawling around looting, many couldn’t help but laugh in exasperation.

Those who had just been killed by Lin Ziqin and Lu Ziqi weren’t nobodies; they were well-known figures in the professional gaming scene. But unfortunately, they had crossed paths with Lin Ziqin.
Everyone still alive at this stage was highly skilled—even those hiding in corners had some real tricks up their sleeves. For someone like Yang Hao to still be alive without firing a single shot, moving around full of energy, was nearly unheard of.

Suddenly, some of them found themselves a little envious of Yang Hao, looting away on the ground.

“Here, a suppressor!”
Having finished looting, Yang Hao dashed back and dropped a rifle suppressor and two medkits at Lin Ziqin’s feet, utterly servile in his devotion.

“Xue, you take it,” Lin Ziqin said without even glancing, tossing the words toward Ling Xue’er beside her.

“Hmph!”
Ling Xue’er stepped forward, attached the suppressor to her own weapon, but let out a disdainful snort.
In her heart, she looked down on Yang Hao. Lin Ziqin already had suppressors on both her guns, while she had none, and yet he brought the loot straight to Ziqin without even considering whether anyone else needed it.
Only Ziqin was ever so considerate!

With a little smile, Ling Xue’er glanced at Yang Hao on the screen, her scorn deepening.

In the room,
Lin Ziqin glanced at Yang Hao in the game, a complicated look flickering across her face.
From the very start, Yang Hao’s actions had seemed reckless, but each move created significant disruption for their opponents.
Unnoticed, he had crafted a perfect environment for her and the others to deal damage, giving them the chance to spot weaknesses and strike back.
Lin Ziqin could keenly sense that Yang Hao’s seemingly chaotic tactics had yielded unexpected results.
Just a moment ago, Lu Ziqi had knocked out Young Master Bai, and with only one enemy left holding the high ground, Yang Hao had charged forward.
Anyone with common sense would know charging in at that moment was suicide.
And yet, Yang Hao survived.
She had seized the opportunity to finish off the enemy.
Lin Ziqin knew this was no coincidence.

Watching Yang Hao bounce around nearby, her eyes glimmered.
“Let’s go!” she said with a smile, checking the map now that the skirmish was over.

“Wife, pick the route, I’ll take point.” Hearing Lin Ziqin’s melodious voice, Yang Hao couldn’t help but get giddy again.

Just as everyone was about to advance—
Whoosh!
A silenced sniper round tore through the air.

“Jian Chen used AWM to headshot and knock down Qing Qing Ziqin.”

A sudden notification flashed across the screen.
When Yang Hao glanced over to Lin Ziqin’s location, he saw she had already been downed.

“Damn it!”
Yang Hao cursed aloud.
In the next instant, viewers in the stream saw the previously cowardly Yang Hao charging forward at lightning speed.
Keeping a wary eye on his surroundings, he threw himself in front of Lin Ziqin, shielding her with his own body.

“Cover me!”
He called out to Ling Xue’er and Lu Ziqi, who had already fallen back, and immediately crouched down.
Yes, he was going to revive her!
There was no cover in front of Lin Ziqin. He knew full well it was irrational to attempt a rescue in this situation, but for some reason, only one thought filled his mind:
Get Lin Ziqin back on her feet!

At the same time,
He had another purpose: to draw fire from the enemy.
If he and Lin Ziqin remained still, he believed the enemy would likely fire again—
And the obvious target would be him, the rescuer.
He was using himself as bait!
He wanted to force the enemy to reveal themselves.

“Fall back!”
As Yang Hao crouched to revive her, Lin Ziqin immediately sensed his intention and forcibly broke off his attempt, issuing a cold command.

Yang Hao said nothing.
This time, he surprisingly ignored her.
He crouched down once more.

Reviving!
Revive interrupted!
Reviving!

“Don’t move!”
For the third time, Yang Hao crouched and barked in a low voice.
He was gambling with his life!
Either the enemy wouldn’t dare fire, and Yang Hao would succeed in reviving Lin Ziqin—
Or the enemy would shoot him, and Lu Ziqi and Ling Xue’er would locate and counter-kill the shooter—
Or he would die with Lin Ziqin.

Whoosh!
A faint sound sliced the air.

“Jian Chen used AWM to kill Qing Qing Ziqin.”

“F*** you!”
As Lin Ziqin’s downed avatar turned into a loot crate, Yang Hao let out a furious roar.
He hadn’t expected that with both of them barely moving, the enemy would choose as a target not the one attempting the rescue, but Lin Ziqin, who no longer had any means of resistance.

Yang Hao’s angry outburst carried all the way into Lin Ziqin’s room, and the three others, wearing headphones, were startled by the force of it.

“What happened?”
In the modified training room, Shen Muxi had just finished a match when she heard Yang Hao’s voice and froze in surprise.

“Ziqin was ambushed,” Ling Xue’er explained, taking off her headset.

In the game,

“They’re on the southwestern slope.”
Lin Ziqin, though just killed, stayed calm and instantly pinpointed the enemy’s location as soon as the shot rang out.
But as she spoke, she noticed something on the screen that made her pause.
As soon as she announced the enemy’s position, Yang Hao was already charging forward, gun in hand.

“Don’t go!”
Lu Ziqi and Ling Xue’er, who had both trained their sights on the indicated direction, were startled by Yang Hao’s action and cried out together.
But Yang Hao paid them no heed.

Watching Lin Ziqin get finished off right before his eyes, Yang Hao was furious.
Even if it was just a game, he couldn’t stand the feeling.
So he went for it!
He wanted revenge!

Staring at the figure charging forward without hesitation, Lin Ziqin was momentarily dazed.
Suddenly, the image of a teenage boy flashed through her mind—it was Yang Hao in his senior year of high school.
That year, after a fallout with her family, she ran away to Tianhai City, officially signing with the Legendary Club and beginning her professional career.
That same year, sixteen-year-old Yang Hao had begged his family in tears to transfer him to Tianhai University’s affiliated high school.
For her very first match, he was there.
After her loss, she herself had been calm, but the sixteen-year-old boy had wept as though he were the one who had lost.
For five years of her professional career, every match, every event, he was always there. No matter where she looked into the crowd, she would always find his smiling face.
No matter where she was, she could always remember—there was a boy who had been by her side since childhood, steadfast as ever.

A month ago, three days before her engagement ceremony, she left.
Why?
Was it an unfulfilled dream of esports, or fear of the future?
No.
Was it because Yang Hao didn’t ask her to stay?
Even if he hadn’t, that wasn’t the real reason.
She regretted it.
The month since leaving home had been just like five years before. Her family froze all her accounts, including her earnings from years of play.
At that time, encouraged by Yang Hao, she had already envisioned forming her own team, and she needed funds—so she started streaming.
On her very first day, she cried.
Because she saw that familiar ID pop up in her chat, showering her with hundreds of gifts, pushing her to the homepage of Tomato TV.
Once again, he had stepped forward, without hesitation.

Yesterday,
His sudden appearance had set her heart racing.
To keep him from noticing her turmoil, she forced herself to appear cold and drove him away.
Today, when he showed up with a lunchbox once more…
…

Watching his figure running across the screen, Lin Ziqin’s formerly cool and distant face began to soften, a rosy blush blooming on her cheeks.
In that fleeting smile, there was breathtaking beauty.