Chapter Text
Stepping into the Excellent Era headquarters is akin to stepping into a prison, nowadays. The atmosphere is so heavy one would think they were about to be crushed by it if they lingered too long.
There is only one source of light in Excellent Era’s darkness; the ever-beautiful smile of Su Mucheng, whose warmth settles into your bones as if you were basking in the sun eSports players rarely get time to enjoy.
Recently, that smile has turned into a cold, chilling and calculated gaze, and people are reminded it was Ye Qiu who raised this top-class competitive launcher; whose number of fans outweighed others by far, and a single word from her will turn the Glory fanbase on its head.
The cold war between management and Ye Qiu was not new. But, recently, the players had taken it upon themselves to get involved.
“Ye Qiu, do you want anything to eat for lunch?” Su Mucheng already knew the answer that would come, but still she asked.
“No need. Not hungry.” The God was fully immersed in the game as usual, despite that two fingers on his left hand were currently taped together and supported with a slim metal brace.
Su Mucheng suppressed a scowl. “And when was the last time you ate?” She could see Ye Xiu’s shoulders tense a little from where he sat.
(The captain’s desk, set directly at the front of the room, should be a sign of authority and power.
These days, it is anything but.)
“...some fries will be fine.”
“Okay~!”
Though her voice was happy, the sharp gaze she throws across the training room was not.
The last time she’d left the room, someone had managed to find the time and opportunity to drop one of the outdated computer engines right on Ye Xiu’s hand. Thankfully, and Su Mucheng was indeed very, very thankful, he had gotten away with only a very slight fracture in his pinky and some bruising along the side and back of his hand. It would heal in another two weeks.
“An accident” they’d said. Su Mucheng would show them an accident once she got Research and Development to make her a real-life version of Devouring Sun.
Many others from the pro players’ QQ expressed the same feeling. Age was one thing. Stepping down so others could step up was another.
But what appeared to be a purposely inflicted injury? Who would dare?
A gamer’s life was their hands. They would naturally feel worry if one of their own was injured in such a way.
Admittedly, the worry was a bit muted when later the next day One Autumn Leaf pulverised his way through the match against Void, despite the disability. The solo match lasted barely two minutes, and in the group and team fights he was basically taking everyone on solo.
It was one of the rare times this season where Excellent Era had actually won a full match.
Of course, Su Mucheng had been absolutely livid during the challenges as well, which also fueled their victory.
“Su Mucheng.” One of the people from the research and development section laid a hand on her shoulder. He nodded, just slightly, towards Ye Xiu.
Ye Xiu worked closely with R&D, enough so that the members had grown to become fond of him, and, perhaps, also because the other players tended to ignore their existence entirely. In any case, as long as their paycheck wasn’t on the line, they would take Ye Xiu’s side.
She could trust that they’d at least watch him for her.
“Thank you,” Su Mucheng murmured, and stepped out.
Ye Xiu’s hands were still rapidly controlling his character as he went through practice. Normally players would take a break, make sure they let their injury heal right.
Not Ye Xiu.
Not when he and Su Mucheng were the only ones keeping Excellent Era barely in the competitive scene.
It was the beginning of season six. Now was the time to set a trend and establish a lead, lest misfortune befall them in the later rounds. They couldn’t afford to have One Autumn Leaf out of commission.
Su Mucheng reentered the room, thanked the R&D man again, and promptly shoved a fry into her adopted-brother’s mouth without warning.
Ye Xiu wasn’t very surprised. He knew Su Mucheng had made sure they hadn’t be seen by the other team members, to prevent undermining his authority even further.
Still…
“Alright, alright, I’ll take a break.” He sent a tired look towards Su Mucheng and finally took his hands off the keyboard.
The other gamer sent him an angelic smile and then promptly dumped an unasked for burger into his hands. “Eat or I won’t let you smoke in our rooms anymore.”
Ye Xiu stared at her for a bit. “Is this a dictatorship?” he mumbled, unwrapping the burger.
Su Mucheng ignored him. “Old Han says to stop ignoring QQ. Shaotian is going to come directly here if you don’t talk to them today.”
Ye Xiu sweatdropped. He’d ignored that threat on the day he’d gotten injured, and then found an uncleverly disguised Sword Saint pounding on Excellent Era’s doors the next. It had taken him a round in the arena to get him to go away, and to prove his condition wasn’t that bad. His ears still ached from all the talking.
(It probably would have been many, many more rounds if Huang Shaotian didn’t understand that hand injuries needed proper rest and healing.)
He quickly pulled up the pro-player’s chat on QQ, the one that was mostly players Ye Xiu was more familiar with. He still didn’t know how word of his injury got out; probably one of the other members of his team, gossiping amongst their friends in game or on QQ.
He’d told them so many times to not carelessly discuss important information...there was always the possibility of spies in a group chat or a guild. Luckily, it seemed to have only reached the pro-player circle so far.
One Autumn Leaf: Here. No more trouble. Bye.
As expected, Huang Shaotian replied almost instantly.
Troubling Rain: Are you Zhou Zekai now???!!!! I won’t be satisfied with only that!!!
Toubling Rain: Are you resting!? You should be! If you’re still injured during our match in two days I won’t go easy on you!!!
Swoksaar: Shaotian. Did you not lose to him three times in a row a few days ago?
Troubling Rain: …
Troubling Rain: “>.>
Dazzling Hundred Blossoms: How do you even expect him to be fully recovered in just two days?
Vaccaria: Senior is still a difficult BOSS to beat, as usual.
Troubling Rain: @OneAutumnLeaf Respond!!!! I’ll still go to EE HQ!!!!
Troubling Rain: AGAIN!
Troubling Rain: @OneAutumnLeaf @OneAutumnLeaf @OneAutumnLeaf @OneAutumnLeaf @OneAutumnLeaf @OneAutumnLeaf @OneAutumnLeaf
Cloud Piercer: :c
Empty Waves: Senior Ye, Captain would like to know if you’re okay too.
Desert Dust: @OneAutumnLeaf Are you prepared for Tyranny’s win tonight?
Windy Rain: Hahaha!
Dancing Rain: Ye Qiu is busy eating for once! No more interruptions!
Dancing Rain: Han Wenqing, don’t think Excellent Era will lose that easily! One Autumn Leaf and Dancing Rain will still fight!
Desert Dust: Of course. I will meet you on the battlefield, Su Mucheng.
Cloud Piercer: ?
Empty Waves: Captain is asking what you mean by “for once”.
Troubling Rain: +1!!!!!
Vaccaria: +2
Desert Dust: +3
[Message deleted by: DancingRain]
Dancing Rain: Oh, look, time for afternoon practice!
Troubling Rain: FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK!!! SU MUCHENG GET BACK HERE!!!
Troubling Rain: I’M NOT DONE YET!
Demon Subduer: They’re offline…
Troubling Rain: FUCK!
[Channel name changed to “YE QIU GET READY TO LOSE IN TWO DAYS!” by: TroublingRain]
Unfortunately, Desert Dust and One Autumn Leaf did not meet each other in the solo challenge later that day. Excellent Era won once, due to Ye Qiu’s stubborn determination, but lost the other two matches.
2-1, in Tyranny’s favor.
Excellent Era wins the group challenge. The two Gods don't directly collide until the very end, where Desert Dust’s HP was already incredibly low and One Autumn Leaf still had Dancing Rain for back up.
3-2, in Excellent Era’s favor.
The team challenge doesn’t end well. Though Excellent Era doesn’t outright ignore Ye Xiu’s shotcalling, their mistakes are simple, or they outright fail at the tasks they are assigned. In the end, they only manage to eliminate three players before they are wiped out. One Autumn Leaf is the last to fall, but in a mirror of the group challenge, his HP is devastatingly low by the time Desert Dust faces him.
7-3, Tyranny takes the win. Excellent Era rises to ninth place, but Wind Howl is only one point below them and hasn’t played all their matches for the week yet.
No one suspects a thing about Ye Qiu’s hand injury, especially not after seeing him absolutely devastate Bai Yanfei in their 1v1.
Immovable Rock: I am left rather disappointed.
Immovable Rock: As usual, Senior, your tactics are brilliant, but your team does not know how to execute them. @OneAutumnLeaf
Troubling Rain: Those pieces of trash! How hard is it to understand flanking?! They need to be taught how to use the opportunities given to them!
Troubling Rain: If it was me I would have killed Old Han ten times over already! Ten!
Troubling Rain: @OneAutumnLeaf let me PK your teammates for you! PKPKPKPKPKPK!!!
Desert Dust: …
Troubling Rain: Wait nvm I’ll just do it in two days! Hahaha! No need to thank me! I’ll make sure to kill them so thoroughly that they’ll still feel it even when they are reincarnated in forty years!
Vacarria: Sister Su Mucheng was especially aggressive today. I’m relieved that we don’t have any matches against Excellent Era until next week.
Dancing Rain: Hahahaha.
Dancing Rain: @DesertDust you should remember that Ye Qiu isn’t the only one on the field! I already reminded you earlier, didn’t I?
Desert Dust: Of course. That last attack caught me unawares. A shame you were eliminated so early into the team challenge.
Immovable Rock: Targeting Dancing Rain means One Autumn Leaf will, by default, get involved. It is a flawless plan that allows us to chip away at the HP of both avatars.
Troubling Rain: Is Zhang Xinjie actually revealing his tactics?!!!!
Troubling Rain: O.O
Immovable Rock: Everyone in the Alliance knows this by now…
Swoksaar: Stop embarrassing yourself and participate in the team training. Excellent Era isn’t that easy an opponent that you can slack off, Shaotian.
Troubling Rain: We just finished winning against 301!!!
Swoksaar: ^_^
Troubling Rain: HELPASDIJsjdaosidjasioJDIOAjsdioasjqqqqqqqqqqqq
Windy Rain: [Lights incense]
Dazzling Hundred Blossoms: +1
Dancing Rain: +2
Demon Subduer: +3
[Channel name changed to “Well Wishes for Huang Shaotian Ye Qiu!” by: WindyRain]
Huang Shaotian: That shameless old man didn’t even speak, yet they chose him over me?!
-A-
The second injury happens like this; the majority of Excellent Era are all gathered inside a luxuriously decorated restaurant, celebrating the birthday of Su Mucheng.
Nevermind that the girl herself would rather they all be inside HQ, practicing for the remaining games they have and then, hopefully, the playoffs.
A rowdy argument quickly gets out of hand. A plate is thrown.
Ye Xiu ducks out of the way in time for it to not directly hit his face, and then gets a burn from colliding with one of the soup-carrying waiters. It’s not a particularly bad burn; however, it does cover the underside of his right wrist and stretches to mid-forearm.
Su Mucheng promptly cancels the celebration in favor of immediately taking Ye Xiu to the hospital, despite the other’s insistence that he just needed cool water and some bandages.
He apologizes for ruining Su Mucheng’s birthday.
Su Mucheng responds that she wouldn’t want to spend her birthday with such bastards anyways, and that it was only one birthday. She would have plenty more.
Ye Xiu devotes all his free time the following week into researching and upgrading Devouring Sun, and claims it is her belated birthday gift. He still leads Excellent Era into the playoffs as always, despite the stark white gauze that covers half his forearm.
The pro players’ QQ is filled with worried murmurs and half-confirmed rumors.
-A-
The third time is in the middle of season seven.
Ye Xiu knows what they’ve been up to - how could he not? He’s avoided many more attempts than the two that actually injured him, and has taken to switching out his thin, Excellent Era jacket for a thicker, fluffier one whose sleeves go well over his fingers.
It doesn’t do him much good when he is, quite literally, pushed out onto the street as they exit Blue Rain’s stadium after a tiring All-Star Weekend. This wasn’t Glory; he couldn’t keep track of everyone in such a busy and chaotic situation.
Ye Xiu’s real life physical abilities have always been abysmal. He doesn’t have the time nor the capability to dodge the oncoming car, feet slipping over the ice that lined the sides of the road.
“Ye Qiu!”
“Senior!”
Two hands grab him; one by his hood, the other by his elbow. They pull him back not a moment too soon, yet there is a distinct, sickening crack as he still falls and his leg impacts the ground all wrong.
Su Muqiu’s bloody corpse flashes in front of his eyes.
Su Mucheng’s eyes are wide with horror, but her teeth are grit with soul-consuming anger. She is at his side in an instant, phone already open and dialing for an ambulance.
Zhou Zekai, the owner of the other hand that had pulled him back, can only stare with shock and fear as he realizes what had just happened.
Ye Xiu should have predicted this is what they had planned when they hadn’t allowed him to slip out the back entrance like he usually did, instead insisting he hide in the crowd of pro players that would flood out before the audience got their chance to leave.
The sound of his leg breaking was still echoing in his ears. He can’t hear anything else. Ye Xiu faintly recognizes he might be going into shock; the cold weather was not helping. The parallel to Su Muqiu’s death was definitely not helping.
The commotion has, of course, drawn the attention of the other pros. Most are still processing what was happening. Excellent Era was simultaneously cursing and celebrating this turn of events. They seemed completely ignorant to the fact they were about to kill Ye Xiu.
The ambulance arrives quickly. Traffic is not that bad yet; the audience has yet to leave. Though it's a little of an overreaction to call an ambulance for a broken leg, Ye Xiu supposes he should be grateful.
“Senior…” Zhou Zekai finally releases him when the ambulance comes to a stop, his tone more than a little worried.
Ye Xiu does his best to plaster on a careless smile. A broken leg? What was that to the God of Glory?
His hands were still unscarred, and that was all that mattered.
“Thanks, Xiao Zhou.” He says it like he was thanking the other for telling him the weather or giving him a cigarette.
Zhou Zekai wishes he could find the words to express himself properly, but by the time he’s even got a sentence strung together Ye Xiu and Su Mucheng have already been whisked off by the flashing lights of the ambulance.