“Qiaoqiao, I… am I about to face some kind of disaster?”
His face was full of excitement.
This was the first time she’d seen someone look so happy while talking about impending doom.
Li Qiao couldn’t help but wonder if there was something wrong with Li Shaoxing’s brain.
Realizing how his words must have sounded, Li Shaoxing coughed awkwardly and corrected himself. “Qiaoqiao, I mean—”
Li Qiao pulled out a pre-prepared protective talisman from her bag and handed it to him. “Third Brother, everyone in our family has one. This one’s yours.”
“Thanks, Qiaoqiao! I knew you wouldn’t forget about me.” Li Shaoxing eagerly grabbed the talisman and tucked it close to his body.
The way he acted, you’d think it was some priceless treasure.
His reaction was downright exaggerated!
Still buzzing with excitement, Li Shaoxing grabbed Li Qiao’s hands.
The way he looked at her was so intense it sent shivers down her spine—like she was a delicious dessert.
“Third Brother, you’re kind of scaring me.”
“Li Shaoxing, wipe that scheming look off your face,” Liu Yusi suddenly chided.
Li Shaoxing laughed sheepishly. “Mom, how could you say that about your own son? I’m just happy to have such a wonderful little sister.”
“You’d better be.”
“…”
Mom really misunderstood him.
Li Qiao sighed inwardly.
She had no idea how Second Brother had described her to Third Brother, but judging by his reaction, it must have been overly enthusiastic.
While the nurse came in to change his bandages, Li Qiao took the chance to look up Li Shaoxing online.
His name brought up countless headlines.
She quickly found his Weibo account—1.1 million followers, zero follows.
He’d only ever posted three times, the most recent one three years ago, yet the comments under it had already reached half a million.
Scrolling through, most of them were insults.
Though some fans tried to defend him, the haters’ sheer numbers drowned them out.
Some of these anti-fans left dozens of comments a day, making her wonder—did they hate Li Shaoxing, or were they weirdly obsessed with him?
Li Qiao clicked the follow button.
He owned his own esports club, which he’d founded himself.
They had a rival club, and the two teams were mortal enemies in the PUBG competitive scene—to the point where it felt like only one could survive.
Curious, Li Qiao searched for the opposing club.
Their captain looked refined and handsome, with a gentle demeanor. He seemed young, probably around 18 or 19.
To be a captain at that age? Impressive.
“Qiaoqiao… checking out your brother’s news?” Li Shaoxing grinned as the nurse finished.
Li Qiao lifted her phone. “Actually, I was looking up your rival.”
Instantly, Li Shaoxing’s smile vanished.
“What’s so interesting about him? Qiaoqiao, don’t tell me you’re one of those crazy fangirls. That guy’s just a pretty-faced fraud. He’s not even half as good-looking as me.” He pointed at his own face proudly.
Li Qiao nodded seriously—but kept scrolling.
Li Shaoxing: “…”
His hatred for Xiao Xueling burned even brighter. That kid’s whole “innocent good boy” act had fooled the entire internet.
Frowning, Li Qiao reminded Li Shaoxing that he should probably clarify things online.
Rumors were spreading like wildfire, with some even claiming the VR team’s captain was on his deathbed.
Li Shaoxing clutched his chest. At this rate, he’d die from sheer frustration over these baseless rumors.
Stepping out to take a call, Li Qiao had just hung up when she spotted four young men in matching team uniforms approaching the ward.
When they saw her outside the door, their eyes lingered briefly.
The one at the front gave her a polite nod before heading inside—likely her third brother’s teammates.
But the last one caught her attention.
He looked off—pale, weak, drained.
Just like…
He Jin had back then.
This was clearly a case of depleted vitality.
Li Qiao’s curiosity deepened.
Inside the ward:
“Xing-ge, ‘what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.’ You should really post something on Weibo. People are spreading insane rumors.”
“Seriously! When I saw the news saying you were about to kick the bucket, I didn’t even rinse off the soap before throwing on clothes to come here.”
“Overreacting. It’s just a minor injury. I’m not dying.” Besides, the anti-fan who attacked him had already been arrested.
Honestly, he was in a pretty good mood.
Then someone brought up the girl outside.
Li Shaoxing immediately went on high alert.
“Lan Ti, behave yourself. That’s my sister—my real sister.”
“Huh? Xing-ge, since when do you have a sister? You never mentioned her before. But hey, if she’s family, even better! We could become real family.”
Lan Ti grinned mischievously.
Li Shaoxing’s face darkened. “Get lost.”
“Aw, don’t be like that, Xing-ge!”
The room buzzed with energy.
Then Li Shaoxing noticed Jiang Yi’s ghostly complexion.
“What’s going on? Jiang Yi, what kind of trouble are you in?”
Before, Jiang Yi had seemed a little off, but nothing too serious. Now, though, he looked like a walking corpse.
At the question, Jiang Yi pressed his lips together, unsure how to respond.
Lan Ti, ever the loudmouth, smirked. “Xing-ge, I think Jiang Yi’s just… pent up.”
“Lan Ti, shut up.”
Jiang Yi’s face flushed.
Li Shaoxing narrowed his eyes and pressed Lan Ti for details.
Eager to spill, Lan Ti launched in.
“Ever since Jiang Yi came back from visiting home, he’s been having those dreams. We share a room, and in the middle of the night, he’s always making… noises. Xing-ge, listen—”
Lan Ti hit play on a recording, and the room filled with sounds that made Jiang Yi want to die on the spot.
Jiang Yi lunged for the phone, and the two tussled.
“You’re dead, Lan Ti! I’ll kill you!”
Even though they were all teammates, Jiang Yi was mortified.
Li Shaoxing couldn’t help but pity him.
Only a lunatic like Lan Ti would pull something like this.
“Am I wrong? I’ve always said—men can’t hold it in forever. It’s bad for your health.”
Lan Ti’s implication was clear: Jiang Yi had needs.
And well…
It did seem that way.
But Jiang Yi’s current state suggested more than just dreams.
Unless… he had a girlfriend?
When Li Shaoxing asked, Jiang Yi didn’t deny it—but he didn’t confirm either.
Finally, he mumbled, “Xing-ge… I only met her once.”
“You mean you slept with her once,” Lan Ti teased.
Jiang Yi shot him a glare, and the others froze.
They’d all thought Jiang Yi was the innocent type. Who knew he’d actually slept with someone? And at just eighteen!
Was his body even ready for that?
“When did this happen?” Li Shaoxing asked.
Jiang Yi whispered, “When I went back to my hometown… I met her by the river in Shanghe.”
It might have been a fleeting encounter, but Jiang Yi seemed pretty pleased about it.
Outside the door, Li Qiao had heard everything.
She pushed it open, her sharp gaze locking onto Jiang Yi.
