AFM Ch 4

Shock appeared on Jing Mian’s face.

Although he didn’t quite understand what Mr. Ren meant, Jing Mian still thought about it carefully and replied: “If the other party agrees, of course, it won’t count.”

Mr. Ren said nothing, his eyelashes lowered slightly, and he seemed to be deep in thought.

Jing Mian hesitated for a few seconds and finally asked his doubts:

“Mr. Ren…why do you want to get married?”

Jing Mian thought that with Ren Congmian’s status and wealth, reaching such heights in his career, most celebrities would not choose to get married in a hurry.

Or a family arranged marriage.

Moreover, with the Jing family’s position of power, a marriage with the Ren family was already far beyond reach.

Mr. Ren pondered for a moment and said, “We knew each other when we were young.”

Jing Mian’s Adam’s apple moved slightly.

The man added: “In addition, our height, physique, family background, age, personality…”

“We’re compatible in every aspect.”

Jing Mian: “…”

This is true.

The height difference, the difference in physique, being older, and both coming from business families— even the family members include a stepmother.

Although the aspect of personality compatibility… might be a bit outdated and need further verification.

However, this answer was quite official.

Jing Mian couldn’t help but suppress a smile.

Mr. Ren didn’t seem to be one to make jokes. Having been together for quite a while, the last time he glimpsed a bit of a smile from the man was when he made the wrong call just now.

But it quickly disappeared.

“The ice cream is melting.”

Mr. Ren suddenly said.

Jing Mian was taken aback, not catching on immediately, “Huh?…”

Although Mr. Ren was reserved, he was straightforward. He repeated, “The dessert is melting.”

Jing Mian suddenly realized.

However, Mr. Ren asked, “Don’t you like it?”

“No.” Jing Mian swallowed slightly and said, “I really like it.”

That was the truth.

This isn’t because I was hesitant to eat but because I felt awkward talking to you, Mr. Ren.

Jing Mian finally got the chance, silently reaching out and using a small spoon to scoop up some blueberries on top of the ice cream.

The sweet and sour juice spread in his mouth, carrying a hint of vanilla-flavored light cream, refreshing the taste buds. Jing Mian thought that a restaurant of this level surprisingly had such a special dessert.

When the waiter truly served the dishes.

He realized that this table was all his favorite dishes.

Because the coverage rate was too high, Jing Mian fell into surprise. Mr. Ren… did he still remember his preferences?

This thought had just crossed his mind and was immediately rejected by himself.

Firstly, their childhood bond had passed more than ten years. The man had no reason to remember, and besides, if that were true, Mr. Ren… would probably be more enthusiastic than he is now.

Like right now.

The two of them didn’t say a word from then on, and they were very focused on eating.

Jing Mian: “…”

Perhaps there were too few common interests, or maybe there were no shared topics at all. Jing Mian felt embarrassed, realizing that even childhood friends could become strangers as they grew up. The earlier expectations gradually vanished.

Jing Mian thought that the man was probably very disappointed.

It used to be suitable, but after seeing the real person, Mr. Ren probably realized it wasn’t as suitable as he thought.

……

A blind date with a total of less than fifteen sentences of conversation,

ended like this.

He went downstairs with Ren Xingwan.

The night was deep, past the peak hours, and the rain outside had gradually stopped.

Jing Mian suddenly thought, now that same-sex marriage is legal, would it be… somewhat suspicious for a person of Ren Xingwan’s status to have dinner alone with him and leave the restaurant together?

What if they were caught by paparazzi? Would it become a minor headline the next day?

So, Jing Mian became vigilant.

He silently moved away from Ren Xingwan. To an outsider, it looked like he was maintaining a quite pure distance from him.

Ren Xingwan: “?”

Just after leaving the building, Jing Mian vaguely heard a figure running towards them not far away.

He also recognized Ren Xingwan at a glance: “Brother Ren!”

Jing Mian was shocked.

His previous worries became a reality. The young man instinctively stopped in his tracks, the lines of his neck and shoulders stiffening. He raised his eyes, his eyelashes freezing, but subconsciously reacting faster than his thoughts,

Mr. Ren glanced aside.

And noticed Jing Mian was gone.

The man paused and seemed startled: “?”

Lifting his gaze, he found Jing Mian much smaller in his line of sight. Jing Mian was by the bus stop sign, a bit far away, silently looking at him.

Seemingly disguised as a passerby.

Mr. Ren: “…”

Before the person who came near could speak, Ren Xingwan signaled: “Wait a moment.”

Then, the man dressed in a coat with a cold aura walked in Jing Mian’s direction.

Jing Mian: ?

The next second, he felt his shoulder gently embraced.

As if someone had brought him into their arms, and at the same time, Jing Mian’s pupils froze because there was a slight weight on his head. The next moment, the black brim of a baseball cap covered most of his field of vision.

He was wearing a baseball cap given by the man.

This kind of hat is probably a must-have disguise for stars on the street.

Jing Mian realized, and his heartbeat accelerated.

The person quickly ran up to them, realizing that the rain had stopped, and the umbrella he had prepared was unnecessary. He stopped and asked, “Brother Ren, are you going to send Mr. Jing home?”

“He is my manager, Yang Fan.”

Mr. Ren said.

Jing Mian was startled, and his face instantly felt a bit warm.

In just one evening, this was the second time he wanted to escape from the Earth tonight.

Jing Mian’s Adam’s apple rolled slightly. He nodded slightly to Yang Fan through the black brim of his baseball cap and said politely, “Hello, I’m Jing Mian.”

Yang Fan was startled.

Isn’t this kid too good-looking?

No wonder Mr. Ren likes him.

Where did Brother Ren find such a treasure?

“Hello, hello, I’m Yang Fan, Brother Ren’s manager.” Yang Fan shook hands with Jing Mian, and after noticing Mr. Ren’s lowered gaze, he silently retracted his hand: “Just call me Brother Yang. If you need anything, come find me, and later, let’s exchange numbers.”

Yang Fan smiled and asked: “Why is Mr. Jing wearing a hat?”

Jing Mian choked up.

Mr. Ren: “Shy.”

The voice was magnetic and pleasant, but it didn’t sound like a joke. It gently rubbed the eardrums:

The man said, “Still a kid.”

Jing Mian’s heart skipped a beat.

After a brief exchange of greetings, Yang Fan turned around and got into the car, giving the driver the address.

After getting in the car, Jing Mian stared at the slowly passing street scene and couldn’t help but be in a daze for a while.

Mr. Ren said he… was still a child.

The implication of Mr. Ren’s words was probably that he was not mature enough to fulfill the engagement.

No wonder, tonight, he practically engraved the word “inexperienced” on his face.

Upon returning home,

Jing Mian went straight to his room.

After various analyses, he suddenly became somewhat sure… this family arranged marriage should be off.

When passing by the second floor, Jing Luo hugged his leg.

The little one looked up and asked if he was going to marry that sister-in-law.

Jing Mian had no choice but to put it simply, saying that Mr. Ren had no affinity with him and that he was too young for him.

Jing Luo nodded and remembered.

Mr. Ren wasn’t suitable.

After returning to his room, Jing Mian surprisingly let out a sigh of relief.

It was only the first meeting, and he already felt the urge to run away. If they were to spend a long time together in the future, Jing Mian didn’t have the confidence to stay calm and composed.

Nine fifty.

Everyone at home had already gone to sleep.

Jing Mian got out of bed, found the switch in the pitch-black room, and with the illumination of a small desk lamp, the room instantly brightened.

Ten minutes before the scheduled live streaming time.

Jing Mian changed out of his pajamas, took out the hoodie from the drawer, and put it on neatly. The wide hood covered Jing Mian’s head, exposing some bangs.

At the same time, Jing Mian put on a mask.

Pure black, similar in color to the hoodie, looking mysterious yet natural, showing only a pair of eyes.

Unlike regular games, “Glory” is divided into two stages.

If the first stage was a traditional shooting game similar to PUBG, then the second stage was the most proud and unique “Haunted House” setting of Glory.

Ancient mountain villages, massive haunted houses, abandoned high schools… the maps in the second stage were diverse, with a compatible blend of difficulty and fun. The player who ultimately survived and escaped won.

And “Shadow Guardian” also played a role in the second stage, considering it was originally a ghost transformed by a retired gaming god.

Jing Mian turned on the computer, connected the devices and the camera, and adjusted the angle.

The actions were seamless.

Ten minutes was a bit too much.

Jing Mian cleared his throat, slid the mouse, and clicked on ‘Start Live Broadcast’.

His face soon appeared on the screen.

“Hello, everyone. I’m SHEEP, and today’s live broadcast begins.”

The young man’s gentle and clear voice echoed slowly in the live room through the microphone.

The live room, which was silent a moment ago, experienced a sudden and visible surge in the number of viewers within a few seconds, skyrocketing from zero!

The once desolate barrage area was now filled with small bubbles popping up one after another, forming a spectacular barrage army:

[Mianmian!]

[Mianmian!?]

[Ah ah ah ah Mianmian]

[The anchor is also on time today.]

[God knows I stayed at the computer for half an hour, for fear of missing Mianmian and starting early. My boyfriend said I was crazy…]

The camera in the live broadcast room slowly focused on the young man’s hands on the keyboard.

That hand was slender and beautiful, with distinct joints. Because of its fair complexion, even the faint blue veins on the back of the hand were visible.

From this angle, a small mole near the joint of the ring finger could be vaguely seen.

However, as soon as Jing Mian went online, he saw the latest message in the chat box.

—Xuan Cheng, the captain from “ME.Team”.

[Mianmian, do you have time this weekend?]

[The team is having a dinner party, and the members want to get to know you, just to be familiar.]

Jing Mian was slightly startled.

ME. was the club he joined just a week ago.

Rumored to be an old and declining team, the strongest main player suffered an injury several years ago. They barely made it to the provincial-level competition, never advancing to the national level. Any player with a bit of reputation or potential rising star would never consider joining such a team.

The reason why Jing Mian signed the contract was that ME. offered him generous salary benefits.

Moreover,

Ash had signed with ME a few years ago.

Jing Mian wasn’t sure which aspect attracted him more, but anyway, his avatar was now adorned with the ME. team emblem. In addition to being a streamer, he had gained another layer of identity as a team player.

For any Glory player, this was an incredibly exciting development.

Jing Mian quickly replied: [Okay.]

As night fell, the play of light and shadow on the streets shimmered brightly. Jing Mian’s roommates hadn’t returned, and since he didn’t have a live broadcast today, he took the rare opportunity to relax.

When Jing Mian arrived at the barbecue restaurant not far from the club, he noticed that the group had reserved two rows of long tables that were joined together. Everyone shifted their chairs, forming a circle around the long table. This arrangement not only facilitated chatting but also allowed each person to grill their own meat.

Introduced by Captain Xuan Cheng, Jing Mian was warmly assisted by seniors in preparing condiments and small plates. He was seated next to Xuan Cheng.

He heard that when the club was initially founded, it was jointly operated by Xuan Cheng and his sister, Xuan Rui, who managed logistics.

At the nearby table, the sizzling aroma of meat was already drifting over.

Jing Mian felt a sudden craving.

However, as the young man raised his hand, hooking the edge of the mask above his nose, he suddenly sensed a gaze.

No, not just one gaze.

Jing Mian: “…?”

He looked up and found that at this moment, almost everyone’s eyes were focused on him.

As a result, even the air seemed unusually quiet.

Jing Mian’s hand involuntarily stiffened, and after a few silent seconds, a look of confusion appeared in his eyes.

Captain Xuan Cheng timely cleared his throat.

“…”

No matter how curious you are, you can’t stare at other people’s children like that.

Jing Mian asked, “What’s wrong?”

Everyone seemed to realize and smiled at Jing Mian.

“No, we just…”

“Curious.”

The others nodded enthusiastically. “Exactly.”

Curious about his face?

Jing Mian: “…”

Suddenly, the act of taking off the mask seemed sacred and solemn, and the pressure became overwhelming!

Jing Mian hesitated for a moment, raised his hand, and hooked his index finger.

The edge of the mask was pulled down to below the jaw, revealing his face.

“…”

For some reason, the air fell silent for a while.

The sound of sizzling meat from the next table continued unabated, forming a stark contrast with the quiet atmosphere of this club.

Even Captain Xuan Cheng, responsible for restraining the team members, seemed frozen. The shrimp chip he was about to put in his mouth remained in his hand.

“Damn…”

One voice broke the silence.

The other team members realized it and followed suit with amazement:

“Mianmian, you were this good-looking?”

“Undoubtedly a handsome college student!!!”

“Jing Mian, you didn’t go to the beauty category in the streaming area? If you entered, you would have become popular a long time ago.”

“Damn, he’s simply a waste of beauty, the technical area has wronged you Mianmian…”

……

Jing Mian was a little embarrassed but still smiled.

He looked calm and gentle, and despite his young age, he managed to handle the boiling atmosphere very well.

Although he remained composed, his ears turned redder and redder because of these comments.

Soon, the waiter brought the tray on a small cart. The meats they had pre-ordered were neatly sorted.

It’s just…the quantity was surprisingly large.

Indeed, they were young people. No type of meat was spared, and the losses were particularly severe for pork and beef.

As the protagonist of the welcome party, before Jing Mian could even pick up his chopsticks, the grilled meat was already being brought to him by the people around him. Soon, a small mountain of meat piled up on his plate.

“…”

Jing Mian tremblingly withdrew his chopsticks.

He began to make a determined effort to attack the small mountain of meat.

The atmosphere in the club was excellent, fiery but not noisy. When dining in this atmosphere, you can feel a strong sense of happiness even if you don’t talk to each other.

Just as Jing Mian was thinking this, suddenly, a wine glass silently moved towards his table.

Jing Mian: “?”

“Little one, can you drink?”

Jing Mian looked up and found that the person speaking was a stranger, a very handsome man in his twenties with a teardrop mole at the corner of his eye. He looked at Jing Mian with a smile, appearing calm and composed.

He just smiled as he looked at Jing Mian.

Jing Mian was startled for a moment, then nodded: “I can drink.”

“Jing Mian, ignore him, you don’t have to drink if you don’t want to,” Xuan Cheng leaned over, pointing to the handsome man offering the wine. He said helplessly, “He’s Mole, his name is Cen Xian. He has been with ME. for a long time. He went abroad before and just returned a few days ago.”

Jing Mian was slightly surprised.

If he remembered correctly, Mole, with the meaning of a teardrop mole, left a deep impression on Jing Mian. Wasn’t he the player who consistently ranked in the top ten of the leaderboard?

He also signed with ME.!?

This club seemed to be even more extraordinary than Jing Mian had imagined.

However, Jing Mian still accepted the wine glass and obediently drank it all.

After drinking, his lips became deeper in color, but he felt a bit dazed.

The alcohol content seemed to be higher than he had imagined.

“…” The two of them suddenly felt a sense of guilt as if they were bullying a little kid.

Cen Xian said, “You have such a good alcohol tolerance.”

He asked, “Want another drink?”

Jing Mian swallowed his saliva, which still had the faint smell of alcohol. He shook his head and said, “No one’s back at the dorm. If I get drunk, there’s no one to pick me up. I can’t afford to get drunk.”

Xuan Cheng lightly coughed, finding Jing Mian adorable.

What kind of obedient team member did he sign?

“He definitely doesn’t have a girlfriend.”

Cen Xian didn’t mind, “I can take you home, just drink boldly.”

Xuan Cheng: “…” Shut up.

Jing Mian obviously did not agree to this proposal and did not go for a second drink.

At the other end of the long table, several teammates had obviously moved on to the second round, lively and extraordinary. Some were lying on the table, half-asleep, and there were even people pushing the plates aside to make room for arm wrestling.

Suddenly, Jing Mian felt a slight vibration in his pocket.

He touched it and found that his mobile phone screen lit up, with new messages that he had not checked.

Jing Mian lowered his gaze, his soft and long eyelashes drooping. He silently opened the message with his forehead resting on the edge of the table:

[Where are you?]

Just a few short words.

—It’s from Ren Xingwan.

Jing Mian was stunned for a few seconds, and he seemed to be typing slowly: [Hmm.]

After a while, he seemed to notice something was wrong and typed again: [I am drinking.]

There seemed to be silence on the other side for more than ten seconds.

Soon, the next message came:

[Send the address.]

Jing Mian put down the phone.

Jing Mian put down his phone.

He had just sent his real-time location. When he looked up at the gathering again, he noticed that everyone seemed to be looking at him.

Jing Mian: “?”

A bold and outgoing teammate took the lead in leaning over, gossiping, “Jing Mian, sending a message at this time, is it your girlfriend?”

Actually, there were only a few possible answers. Jing Mian is good-looking, so having a girlfriend was understandable. But when everyone thought Jing Mian would say it was his girlfriend or family, or perhaps a roommate…

Unexpectedly, Jing Mian’s gaze paused. Under everyone’s gaze, his voice, gentle and warm, answered:

“My brother.”

……

Jing Mian used a vegetable leaf to roll up a piece of grilled meat, added some rice, and put it in his mouth, quietly eating it one bite at a time.

After finishing the rice ball, Jing Mian silently lay on the edge of the table, his soft hair hanging down. Without saying a word, he joined the ranks of those who were peacefully sleeping at the gathering.

……

Jing Mian was awakened by the vibration in the palm of his hand.

He stood up, feeling a little dizzy. He found that he had been covered with a coat at some point, warding off the slightly cold air outside.

Most of his teammates around him had fallen asleep, leaving only a few senior members with excellent alcohol tolerance. Their voices could be heard faintly as if they were talking endlessly about next season’s battles and equipment.

Jing Mian was thinking this when suddenly, a phone call interrupted his thoughts.

Under the two choices, Jing Mian subconsciously answered the vibrating phone in his hand.

Jing Mian was startled, thinking he had misheard.

How could Mr. Ren possibly come here?

But Jing Mian instinctively replied, “…Yes.”

So the next second, he heard: “I am Mr. Ren.”

“Come to take you home.”