******
With this, the gap that has formed between their gold is finally closed.
Jing Yu secretly breathes a sigh of relief, leading Burial Sword back to the bottom of the turret to farm his creeps.
Yet, just as all his abilities have cooled down and he is preparing to receive asdf’s next frontal assault, a message pops up in the chat box.
【Enemy】asdf (Burial Sword) : gg
gg is the short form for ‘good game’.
The winner typically issues ‘gg’ to mock the losing side. The losing team types ‘gg’ to admit defeat as well as to compliment the opponent on a fight well done.
At the moment, asdf’s Burial Sword is at a disadvantage. He typed ‘gg’, clearly admitting his loss.
As expected, not long after this message appeared, asdf surrenders in-game and ends the battle.
Jing Yu blinks dubiously, a bit dissatisfied.
Gold Fish not Salted Fish: Not playing anymore?
asdf: En, I’ve seen enough.
Gold Fish not Salted Fish: Huan Hei! That’s why I said my Burial Sword is smooth!
asdf: How about another round? This time, I’ll be more serious.
Gold Fish not Salted Fish: ……
Jing Yu immediately backs out, because he knows. Even if asdf had gone easy on him the last round, at the very least, Jing Yu had given his all.
Under a situation where he’d given his best shot his but still tied with asdf, it felt like asdf had control of the match from start to finish, the game gruellingly fought. Even if they have a third match, it probably won’t be any better off.
Therefore, Jing Yu shamefully retreats.
Gold Fish not Salted Fish: No more. I’m tired.
asdf: Okay. You should sleep. When do you have time to drop by our club?
Gold Fish not Salted Fish: I’m free any time of the day.
Any time of the day? Qin Fei pauses for a moment then realizes. He seems to have forgotten to ask after the other’s profession.
20 years old… This guy should still be in college?
But regardless of whether he’s working or schooling, he can’t possibly be “free all day” ba?
asdf: More specifically?
Gold Fish not Salted Fish: I’m free every day before 6pm.
Qin Fei raises a hand to grasp his chin — Free every day before 6pm. In other words, he’s not free every day after 6pm? What exactly does this guy do for a living?
Nevertheless, Qin Fei is not overly concerned about this. He just needs to know that the other’s free during the day.
asdf: Then, you can come tomorrow at around 1pm. Bring your identity card along.
Gold Fish not Salted Fish: Okie.
Seeing this reply, Qin Fei sends the clubhouse’s address to Jing Yu.
Gold Fish not Salted Fish: Received.
Gold Fish not Salted Fish: About that……
asdf: ?
Gold Fish not Salted Fish: When I come by tomorrow, will Qin Ge be around?
Qin Fei raises a hand to cover his face, blindly punching out a response with his free hand.
asdf: Yes.
Gold Fish not Salted Fish: Alrighty! Thank you, Da Lao! I will do my best da!
That night, Jing Yu lays on the bed but rolls to and fro, incapable of falling asleep.
To think he will be able to meet his favourite player tomorrow, just the thought of it makes him feel this is all too surreal.
Hence, upon waking the next morning, the very first thing Jing Yu does is to log in to the game, clicking open his chat history with asdf to check: Everything is real, he is not daydreaming. Only then is he able to relax.
“I must leave a good impression on my God.”
The post-shower, half-naked Jing Yu stands before his wardrobe, dilly-dallying for half a day.
“Should I send a present to him?”
The finally dressed Jing Yu examines his bachelor’s pad. Finding nothing worthy of presenting to his God, he can only go online to surf for suggestions.
“Giving flowers? Err…… That’s more suitable for girls ba. Moreover, it’s so impractical.”
“Necktie? Scarf? That feels way too personal……”
“Lighter? Ash trays? Don’t know if Fei Ge smokes or not ah……”
“Undergarments…… What the hell am I thinking?!”
After a round of struggles, taking into consideration that he’s not dropping by to meet Qin Fei alone and he can’t buy a present just for him, in the end, Jing Yu purchases a large cake to bring over and share with the team.
Because he’s residing in the same S city as pg, Jing Yu sets out at 11.30, but arrives at pg’s doors even before the clock ticks 12.30.
Imprinted on the clubhouse’s door which gives off a high-tech vibe, there is pg’s logo.
In contrast to pg’s bloodthirsty nature, pg’s logo looks very gentle and soft, even a little adorable. As a matter of fact, even its entire colour is a very soft baby pink, and one can faintly see the outline of a pig.
At the bottom, written in small lettering, red lights highlight pg’s full name: play gaily**.
(**It’s in English.)
Play Happily?
Jing Yu is briefly startled. He still thought pg’s full name might have something to do with ‘pig’.
Speaking of which, did he arrive too early? Can he go in…?
Jing Yu hovers uncertainly around the entrance. After much deliberation, he still dares not cross the threshold; He can only give up and find another place to rest for half an hour before returning.
Yet, shortly after he makes his decision, Jing Yu turns around and bumps into another person, giving him a shock: “I’m sorry!”
After saying the reflexive phrase, Jing Yu wordlessly backs off to the side, making way for the other. He cautiously lifts his head to appraise the person who he’d just bumped into.
That is an extremely handsome man, taller than him by a full head.
The man wears a set of casual clothes that’s full of character. Red interweaving into black, the wide neckline reveals two captivating clavicles.
Gulp.
Jing Yu subconsciously swallows, not because he was entranced by his appearance, but because the man’s aura rivets him in place.
The man lightly scrunches his brows. His expression is full of weariness and impatience, as though he’d start throwing punches any second now.
Yet, the imagined fist in his mind’s eye does not come. Instead, a somewhat cold voice says: “Delivery?”
“Ah?” Jing Yu is stumped.
The man lowers his head to peer at the cake dangling from his hand. He raises a hand to hold his jaw, lost deep in thought: “Is it someone’s birthday today?”
Jing Yu finally gets the other’s misunderstanding. With a little difficulty, he explains: “No, that…… I, I am here for the interview.”
“Interview?” Puzzlement flashes across the man’s face for an instant. Then, as if remembering something, he suddenly “ah”s in understanding, “Salted Fish?”
“Er-?” Jing Yu pauses, then shortly registers that the other’s calling him and hastily nods whilst replying, “Yes. I am that piece of salted fish…… No, that, my game id is: Gold Fish not Salted Fish.”
“Tch**–” Seeing this flailing youth, Qin Fei can’t hold back from giving a half-suppressed laugh. He’d just come back from lunch, but he didn’t think he would bump into this guy at the entrance.
(**Tch 嗤 ‘Chi’. The author described it as 笑出声来, which means to laugh out loud. It’s not as exactly as cheeky as a snicker, but it can’t be described as a smile either. If you’re interested, you can try making the sound rn — You’ll find your cheeks lifting up :))
Even so, it’s only 12.30 now, right? Why did he come so early?
“Come on in.” Qin Fei hooks an arm around Jing Yu’s neck with ease, hauling him towards the door.
Jing Yu is forced along by Qin Fei to step through pg’s door. He still hadn’t gotten the chance to come back to himself, but he’s already pushed onto the sofa in the living room.
“It’s noon, so the others are still out eating lunch ne. You just sit and wait for a while.” Whilst saying this, Qin Fei makes off to the water dispenser for a drink.
Jing Yu lowers the cake onto the coffee table before the sofa. He eyes Qin Fei with some anxiety, attempting to guess his identity.
However, guessing, guessing, it detracts his attention entirely — This person is so good-looking ah….. He can’t possibly be a star or something like that ba?
Hitherto, pg’s games have all been online games, so Jing Yu does not know his most cherished Qin Fei’s appearance.
Nevertheless, this does not impede his fostering admiration towards Qin Fei. To play such a beautiful battle, even if it’s an old uncle, Jing Yu will acknowledge him!
However, e-sports gamers are all quite young, so the likelihood of that happening is quite small.
Whilst he’s still distracted, Qin Fei has already brought two cups and sat by his side, handing one to him.
“Thank you.” Jing Yu carefully receives it, sipping a mouthful.
Qin Fei raises his brows — He had such confidence in the game, with such hunger for victory, and he even dared call him his hubby. Initially, he’d thought Jing Yu would be an energetic extrovert, but to think…..
“What is your real name?” Qin Fei ventures.
“Jing Yu.” The youth does not hesitate to reply. “Jing from Jing Ke**, Yu from Universe**.”
(**Jīng Yǔ 荆宇 = 荆轲 Jīngkē (A famous retainer of a Prince in China) + 宇宙 Yǔzhòu (Universe))
“Currently schooling?”
“No.” Jing Yu shakes his head, pinching the paper cup in both hands. “After graduating from high school, I had no money to enter college. Currently, I’m doing live streaming.”
Oh. So, not being free after 6pm every night is because of his livestreams?
Qin Fei is startled: “You broadcast your games from Demon Lord?”
“That’s right.”
Qin Fei still wants to ask more, but it suddenly becomes noisy outside.
“I’ll bet 5 bags of la tiao**! That person’s totally a sista!”
(**La Tiao 辣条: ‘Spicy Strips’: A popular snack from China:)
“In that case, you’re losing for sure. He said it himself. He’s a guy.”
“A guy calling Fei Ge his Hubby? I don’t believe it!”
“Tsk. I say, the two of you, can you step up your game? You’ve got money to bet, but instead, you’re wagering with la tiao?”
Three people step through pg’s doors whilst chattering. Shortly thereafter, they spot Qin Fei who is sitting on the sofa. And the one beside him is……
“Aha! It’s a sista! I won the bet, so hand over my la tiao now!” A youth bearing a head of blond locks bounces twice in place, pulling on the sleeves of the tall, bulky man beside him.
The bulky man and the other one lift their hands to cover their eyes in silent understanding.
–Their conversation just now couldn’t have been heard by this new little teammate ba? So awkward.
Jing Yu who is seated on the sofa is also a little lost, not sure if he should stand up or not.
Before he makes his decision, the man at his side slings an arm around his neck: “Let me introduce you guys ah.”
As he’s talking, Qin Fei crosses his legs, jerking his head towards the trio: “That blond, gender-indiscriminating rascal is called Luo Yiming. Our family’s marksman**.”
(**our family 我们家: not actual family, Ofc. Its just a way of saying ‘our team’)
“one?”
“Correct. He’s one.” Qin Fei dips his head, “. That guy who’s taller than the Tokyo Tower. Han Leng, Support.”
“hhh?”
“En. Then, there is Ye Zi.”
“Oh…….”
“Ye Zi your sister!**” Ye Hong is caught between tears and laughter. “Why do you become so half-assed when it’s my turn?” Having said this, he walks over to plop down upon the coffee table before Jing Yu, smiling as he extends a hand. “Hello ah. My name is Ye Hong, pg’s mid-laner.”
(**Your sister 你妹: a very friendly way of saying, ‘Screw You!’)
Jing Yu takes the other’s hand dazedly, flustered by his amicability: “Hello…… My name is Jing Yu, Jing from Jing Ke, Yu from Universe.”
After releasing his hand, an epiphany suddenly dawns upon him. His expression transforms into one of disbelief.
pg’s mid-laner, marksman, support, they’re all here……. then what of their jungler?
He turns his head mechanically like a robot and meets Qin Fei’s gaze. His mouth parts, but not a single word comes.
— Until the other party beats him to the chase by opening his mouth, using a careless tone to answer the question in his heart: “Oh, I forgot to introduce myself. I am pg’s captain, Qin Fei.”
******
Translator Notes: The Peanut Gallery has assembled.
ps: I have collated the game and Chinese lingo on the page Game Mechanics & Lingo. You may want to open this in a separate tab and [Ctrl F + copy-paste] whenever you come across terms mentioned in the past. A simple outline of the game mechanics is also included there. This can be accessed from the Contents Page as well.
Also, from now on, the next chapter may be linked here, but it’ll only be visible after 06:00 GMT. Do check to see what time that is in your area!
Rocket Cat Rescue is a cat rescue located in Northern California that specializes in saving special needs, blind, and at risk cats. All proceeds will go directly to the cats’ medical bills and supplies, so please support them!
In addition, I will release a new chapter a day earlier for every 5 ko-fi’s bought, so don’t forget to copy-paste in your ko-fi message, and drop a comment to let me know you donated!
Current Donation Count: 1/5
******
With this, the gap that has formed between their gold is finally closed.
Jing Yu secretly breathes a sigh of relief, leading Burial Sword back to the bottom of the turret to farm his creeps.
Yet, just as all his abilities have cooled down and he is preparing to receive asdf’s next frontal assault, a message pops up in the chat box.
【Enemy】asdf (Burial Sword) : gg
gg is the short form for ‘good game’.
The winner typically issues ‘gg’ to mock the losing side. The losing team types ‘gg’ to admit defeat as well as to compliment the opponent on a fight well done.
At the moment, asdf’s Burial Sword is at a disadvantage. He typed ‘gg’, clearly admitting his loss.
As expected, not long after this message appeared, asdf surrenders in-game and ends the battle.
Jing Yu blinks dubiously, a bit dissatisfied.
Gold Fish not Salted Fish: Not playing anymore?
asdf: En, I’ve seen enough.
Gold Fish not Salted Fish: Huan Hei! That’s why I said my Burial Sword is smooth!
asdf: How about another round? This time, I’ll be more serious.
Gold Fish not Salted Fish: ……
Jing Yu immediately backs out, because he knows. Even if asdf had gone easy on him the last round, at the very least, Jing Yu had given his all.
Under a situation where he’d given his best shot his but still tied with asdf, it felt like asdf had control of the match from start to finish, the game gruellingly fought. Even if they have a third match, it probably won’t be any better off.
Therefore, Jing Yu shamefully retreats.
Gold Fish not Salted Fish: No more. I’m tired.
asdf: Okay. You should sleep. When do you have time to drop by our club?
Gold Fish not Salted Fish: I’m free any time of the day.
Any time of the day? Qin Fei pauses for a moment then realizes. He seems to have forgotten to ask after the other’s profession.
20 years old… This guy should still be in college?
But regardless of whether he’s working or schooling, he can’t possibly be “free all day” ba?
asdf: More specifically?
Gold Fish not Salted Fish: I’m free every day before 6pm.
Qin Fei raises a hand to grasp his chin — Free every day before 6pm. In other words, he’s not free every day after 6pm? What exactly does this guy do for a living?
Nevertheless, Qin Fei is not overly concerned about this. He just needs to know that the other’s free during the day.
asdf: Then, you can come tomorrow at around 1pm. Bring your identity card along.
Gold Fish not Salted Fish: Okie.
Seeing this reply, Qin Fei sends the clubhouse’s address to Jing Yu.
Gold Fish not Salted Fish: Received.
Gold Fish not Salted Fish: About that……
asdf: ?
Gold Fish not Salted Fish: When I come by tomorrow, will Qin Ge be around?
Qin Fei raises a hand to cover his face, blindly punching out a response with his free hand.
asdf: Yes.
Gold Fish not Salted Fish: Alrighty! Thank you, Da Lao! I will do my best da!
That night, Jing Yu lays on the bed but rolls to and fro, incapable of falling asleep.
To think he will be able to meet his favourite player tomorrow, just the thought of it makes him feel this is all too surreal.
Hence, upon waking the next morning, the very first thing Jing Yu does is to log in to the game, clicking open his chat history with asdf to check: Everything is real, he is not daydreaming. Only then is he able to relax.
“I must leave a good impression on my God.”
The post-shower, half-naked Jing Yu stands before his wardrobe, dilly-dallying for half a day.
“Should I send a present to him?”
The finally dressed Jing Yu examines his bachelor’s pad. Finding nothing worthy of presenting to his God, he can only go online to surf for suggestions.
“Giving flowers? Err…… That’s more suitable for girls ba. Moreover, it’s so impractical.”
“Necktie? Scarf? That feels way too personal……”
“Lighter? Ash trays? Don’t know if Fei Ge smokes or not ah……”
“Undergarments…… What the hell am I thinking?!”
After a round of struggles, taking into consideration that he’s not dropping by to meet Qin Fei alone and he can’t buy a present just for him, in the end, Jing Yu purchases a large cake to bring over and share with the team.
Because he’s residing in the same S city as pg, Jing Yu sets out at 11.30, but arrives at pg’s doors even before the clock ticks 12.30.
Imprinted on the clubhouse’s door which gives off a high-tech vibe, there is pg’s logo.
In contrast to pg’s bloodthirsty nature, pg’s logo looks very gentle and soft, even a little adorable. As a matter of fact, even its entire colour is a very soft baby pink, and one can faintly see the outline of a pig.
At the bottom, written in small lettering, red lights highlight pg’s full name: play gaily**.
(**It’s in English.)
Play Happily?
Jing Yu is briefly startled. He still thought pg’s full name might have something to do with ‘pig’.
Speaking of which, did he arrive too early? Can he go in…?
Jing Yu hovers uncertainly around the entrance. After much deliberation, he still dares not cross the threshold; He can only give up and find another place to rest for half an hour before returning.
Yet, shortly after he makes his decision, Jing Yu turns around and bumps into another person, giving him a shock: “I’m sorry!”
After saying the reflexive phrase, Jing Yu wordlessly backs off to the side, making way for the other. He cautiously lifts his head to appraise the person who he’d just bumped into.
That is an extremely handsome man, taller than him by a full head.
The man wears a set of casual clothes that’s full of character. Red interweaving into black, the wide neckline reveals two captivating clavicles.
Gulp.
Jing Yu subconsciously swallows, not because he was entranced by his appearance, but because the man’s aura rivets him in place.
The man lightly scrunches his brows. His expression is full of weariness and impatience, as though he’d start throwing punches any second now.
Yet, the imagined fist in his mind’s eye does not come. Instead, a somewhat cold voice says: “Delivery?”
“Ah?” Jing Yu is stumped.
The man lowers his head to peer at the cake dangling from his hand. He raises a hand to hold his jaw, lost deep in thought: “Is it someone’s birthday today?”
Jing Yu finally gets the other’s misunderstanding. With a little difficulty, he explains: “No, that…… I, I am here for the interview.”
“Interview?” Puzzlement flashes across the man’s face for an instant. Then, as if remembering something, he suddenly “ah”s in understanding, “Salted Fish?”
“Er-?” Jing Yu pauses, then shortly registers that the other’s calling him and hastily nods whilst replying, “Yes. I am that piece of salted fish…… No, that, my game id is: Gold Fish not Salted Fish.”
“Tch**–” Seeing this flailing youth, Qin Fei can’t hold back from giving a half-suppressed laugh. He’d just come back from lunch, but he didn’t think he would bump into this guy at the entrance.
(**Tch 嗤 ‘Chi’. The author described it as 笑出声来, which means to laugh out loud. It’s not as exactly as cheeky as a snicker, but it can’t be described as a smile either. If you’re interested, you can try making the sound rn — You’ll find your cheeks lifting up :))
Even so, it’s only 12.30 now, right? Why did he come so early?
“Come on in.” Qin Fei hooks an arm around Jing Yu’s neck with ease, hauling him towards the door.
Jing Yu is forced along by Qin Fei to step through pg’s door. He still hadn’t gotten the chance to come back to himself, but he’s already pushed onto the sofa in the living room.
“It’s noon, so the others are still out eating lunch ne. You just sit and wait for a while.” Whilst saying this, Qin Fei makes off to the water dispenser for a drink.
Jing Yu lowers the cake onto the coffee table before the sofa. He eyes Qin Fei with some anxiety, attempting to guess his identity.
However, guessing, guessing, it detracts his attention entirely — This person is so good-looking ah….. He can’t possibly be a star or something like that ba?
Hitherto, pg’s games have all been online games, so Jing Yu does not know his most cherished Qin Fei’s appearance.
Nevertheless, this does not impede his fostering admiration towards Qin Fei. To play such a beautiful battle, even if it’s an old uncle, Jing Yu will acknowledge him!
However, e-sports gamers are all quite young, so the likelihood of that happening is quite small.
Whilst he’s still distracted, Qin Fei has already brought two cups and sat by his side, handing one to him.
“Thank you.” Jing Yu carefully receives it, sipping a mouthful.
Qin Fei raises his brows — He had such confidence in the game, with such hunger for victory, and he even dared call him his hubby. Initially, he’d thought Jing Yu would be an energetic extrovert, but to think…..
“What is your real name?” Qin Fei ventures.
“Jing Yu.” The youth does not hesitate to reply. “Jing from Jing Ke**, Yu from Universe**.”
(**Jīng Yǔ 荆宇 = 荆轲 Jīngkē (A famous retainer of a Prince in China) + 宇宙 Yǔzhòu (Universe))
“Currently schooling?”
“No.” Jing Yu shakes his head, pinching the paper cup in both hands. “After graduating from high school, I had no money to enter college. Currently, I’m doing live streaming.”
Oh. So, not being free after 6pm every night is because of his livestreams?
Qin Fei is startled: “You broadcast your games from Demon Lord?”
“That’s right.”
Qin Fei still wants to ask more, but it suddenly becomes noisy outside.
“I’ll bet 5 bags of la tiao**! That person’s totally a sista!”
(**La Tiao 辣条: ‘Spicy Strips’: A popular snack from China:)
“In that case, you’re losing for sure. He said it himself. He’s a guy.”
“A guy calling Fei Ge his Hubby? I don’t believe it!”
“Tsk. I say, the two of you, can you step up your game? You’ve got money to bet, but instead, you’re wagering with la tiao?”
Three people step through pg’s doors whilst chattering. Shortly thereafter, they spot Qin Fei who is sitting on the sofa. And the one beside him is……
“Aha! It’s a sista! I won the bet, so hand over my la tiao now!” A youth bearing a head of blond locks bounces twice in place, pulling on the sleeves of the tall, bulky man beside him.
The bulky man and the other one lift their hands to cover their eyes in silent understanding.
–Their conversation just now couldn’t have been heard by this new little teammate ba? So awkward.
Jing Yu who is seated on the sofa is also a little lost, not sure if he should stand up or not.
Before he makes his decision, the man at his side slings an arm around his neck: “Let me introduce you guys ah.”
As he’s talking, Qin Fei crosses his legs, jerking his head towards the trio: “That blond, gender-indiscriminating rascal is called Luo Yiming. Our family’s marksman**.”
(**our family 我们家: not actual family, Ofc. Its just a way of saying ‘our team’)
“one?”
“Correct. He’s one.” Qin Fei dips his head, “. That guy who’s taller than the Tokyo Tower. Han Leng, Support.”
“hhh?”
“En. Then, there is Ye Zi.”
“Oh…….”
“Ye Zi your sister!**” Ye Hong is caught between tears and laughter. “Why do you become so half-assed when it’s my turn?” Having said this, he walks over to plop down upon the coffee table before Jing Yu, smiling as he extends a hand. “Hello ah. My name is Ye Hong, pg’s mid-laner.”
(**Your sister 你妹: a very friendly way of saying, ‘Screw You!’)
Jing Yu takes the other’s hand dazedly, flustered by his amicability: “Hello…… My name is Jing Yu, Jing from Jing Ke, Yu from Universe.”
After releasing his hand, an epiphany suddenly dawns upon him. His expression transforms into one of disbelief.
pg’s mid-laner, marksman, support, they’re all here……. then what of their jungler?
He turns his head mechanically like a robot and meets Qin Fei’s gaze. His mouth parts, but not a single word comes.
— Until the other party beats him to the chase by opening his mouth, using a careless tone to answer the question in his heart: “Oh, I forgot to introduce myself. I am pg’s captain, Qin Fei.”
******
Translator Notes: The Peanut Gallery has assembled.
ps: I have collated the game and Chinese lingo on the page Game Mechanics & Lingo. You may want to open this in a separate tab and [Ctrl F + copy-paste] whenever you come across terms mentioned in the past. A simple outline of the game mechanics is also included there. This can be accessed from the Contents Page as well.
Also, from now on, the next chapter may be linked here, but it’ll only be visible after 06:00 GMT. Do check to see what time that is in your area!
Rocket Cat Rescue is a cat rescue located in Northern California that specializes in saving special needs, blind, and at risk cats. All proceeds will go directly to the cats’ medical bills and supplies, so please support them!
In addition, I will release a new chapter a day earlier for every 5 ko-fi’s bought, so don’t forget to copy-paste in your ko-fi message, and drop a comment to let me know you donated!
Current Donation Count: 1/5
