Chapter 26-1

Four days left.

Fu Luoyin had been busy lately, and he knew that Lin Shuicheng was just as occupied. He hadn't asked him to cook recently; instead, he spent more time in the residence assigned to them by Unit 7.

When Lin Shuicheng was deep in thought, it was an amusing sight. In the days before Fu Luoyin left home, he often saw him pacing back and forth in front of the floor-to-ceiling window for hours on end, like a tiny pendulum.

Other times, Lin Shuicheng would be found nestled on the couch playing games.

Unlike most college students who were into online games or competitive mobile games, Lin Shuicheng preferred simple games like Match-3 or Bubble Shooter that required no brainpower. Once, while Fu Luoyin sat beside him playing Poker, he watched Lin Shuicheng clear over four hundred levels of Match-3 in three hours, his gaze still absorbed in the game, lost in thought with his eyes lowered, not even reacting when his name was called.

Another time, Fu Luoyin woke up in the middle of the night to get a drink and discovered that Lin Shuicheng was nowhere to be found at home—it was three in the morning, but he had quietly gone to the school laboratory and didn't return until noon the next day. Afterward, he ordered a batch of chemistry equipment and locked himself up in his workspace every day for titration experiments.

On one occasion when Lin Shuicheng had forgotten to lock the door, Fu Luoyin, after feeding the chief, followed the cat's trail and passed by his room. There, he saw Lin Shuicheng exuding a chill, his face almost solemn as he carefully added a solution drop by drop into a conical flask.

His hands were steady, his fingers long and fair, with the faint outline of bones and blue veins visible beneath the skin. With each drop, his long eyelashes fluttered, and his eyes blinked once. Sparkling stars seemed to dance in the depths of his gaze.

His demeanor was almost devout, like a monk tolling a temple bell, drop by drop, strike by strike, nothing else but repetition. Yet, while a monk could evoke a sense of Zen, Lin Shuicheng's aura was unmistakably infused with a heavy, enclosed obsession.

He neither sought his assistance nor anyone else's aid—a pride and radiance that could sting the eyes.

Fu Luoyin, fearing that Lin Shuicheng, in his current state, might starve at home, and the Chief would follow suit, specifically asked Zhou Heng to arrange for a housekeeper to come daily to cook, clean, and feed the cats.

Lin Shuicheng paid no attention and cared little. Only when he was too exhausted from thinking and calculations would he remember to eat a few bites at the dining table. As for who had come and gone, he was completely unaware.

The faculty tacitly allowed Lin Shuicheng to take leave, allowing him to devote all his energy to the famous painting authentication project. However, whispers began to circulate. While Yu Fan in Group Two could still see Fu Luoyin bustling about in the authentication office, Lin Shuicheng, after initially visiting the administrative office on the first day for information, had essentially vanished into thin air. Nobody could find him, nor could they contact him.

Opinions on campus were divided. "He's probably running away, isn't he? Once he turns off his phone, he can simply disappear and pretend nothing happened. That's quite cowardly."

Fu Xue, always keeping an eye on the university forum, knew that besides Yu Fan, several professors in their department had close ties with their company, having collaborated on projects before. If Yu Fan could successfully complete this project, their network of resources would further expand.

She screenshotted the post and shared it in their group chat, laughing, "It's not even the deadline yet, and I think Little Fish is already losing. No one can get in touch with that impostor; perhaps he's hiding back in his hometown, crying?"

The group chat erupted in ridicule. "Looks like he's definitely made a run for it."

Su Yu remained silent.

He was too angry to type anything.

He clicked into the university forum post and then scrolled through his phone contacts. It was only then that he realized Lin Shuicheng's friend request from the other day still hadn't been accepted.

Lin Shuicheng must have forgotten.

After some hesitation, Su Yu called Fu Luoyin. "Hey, Minus Two? Is Sister-in-law with you?"

Fu Luoyin was at Site Seven, taking a break during a meeting. He asked, "Why do you need to find him?"

Su Yu wasn't sure if Fu Luoyin knew about Lin Shuicheng's situation—and since Fu Luoyin used Lin Shuicheng as a substitute, his actions might be seen as intentionally causing trouble.

He didn't tell the truth. "My mom said there's something Lin Deng needs to know, but I can't reach Sister-in-law. Can you tell me if he's available?"

Fu Luoyin replied, "He hasn't been answering calls lately, but he should be home. If it's urgent, go over and look for him. I'm tied up here. And don't disturb his research. He's busy these few days."

Su Yu quickly said, "Got it, got it. I'll just pop by briefly."

Su Yu was eager to see Lin Shuicheng and welcomed another chance to visit. He hailed a taxi and headed straight for Lin Shuicheng and Fu Luoyin's residence.

Arriving, he found the housekeeper preparing dinner. Su Yu followed her in and saw Lin Shuicheng in the living room. "Sister-in-law! I'll come right in."

Lin Shuicheng was playing a game and glanced up. Upon recognizing Su Yu, he put down his phone and stood up. "Why are you here?"

Su Yu scratched his head. "There's something I want to talk to you about, Sister-in-law. Don't worry, it's not about Lin Deng. He's doing well."

He greeted the approaching calf-like cat amiably and then glanced at the housekeeper preparing to wash vegetables for cooking, swallowing his saliva.

Lin Shuicheng didn't ask what was on his mind. Rubbing his eyes, he said, "Let's have dinner first. I'll cook."

Lin Shuicheng dismissed the housekeeper and asked her to wait a moment before going to take a shower and change clothes.

Su Yu noticed that his face looked pale and haggard, with messier hair than the last time they met, as if he had just woken up. This added a more approachable quality to his usual demeanor.

When Lin Shuicheng raised his gaze, Su Yu's heartbeat slowed down slightly. He quickly said, "Take your time in the shower, Sister-in-law. Is there anything I can help with here?"

Lin Shuicheng pondered for a moment. "If you're not busy, could you chop some potatoes for me?"

Su Yu promptly got to work, diligently slicing the potatoes. Spotting a cucumber nearby, he volunteered to mince garlic and prepare a cold cucumber dish – one of the survival skills he had learned.

When Lin Shuicheng emerged from the bathroom, fully refreshed and dressed, his hair was still damp, hanging loosely and looking soft and relaxed.

Su Yu no longer dared to look him straight in the eye. While he had no particular thoughts about Lin Shuicheng, Su Yu simply held a reverent appreciation for beauty.

Lin Shuicheng prepared a hearty chicken and noodle stew today, along with some pickled cucumbers that Su Yu had made. He then stir-fried a base for the rice sausage, slicing it and soaking it in the stew's flavorful broth. The combination of the fragrant sausage and crisp cucumber offered a delightful mix of freshness and spiciness with each bite, leaving a lingering sensation.

For the remaining side dishes, he quickly whipped up a scrambled egg with tomatoes and reheated some leftover spicy shrimp from the day before.

As Su Yu devoured his food, he was almost moved to tears – being an undercover agent was definitely worth it!

With such culinary delights, there would be no need for torture or coercion; he would willingly switch sides!

While Su Yu indulged in his meal with unbridled enthusiasm, Lin Shuicheng ate his noodle slices at a leisurely pace. He was refined but not overly formal.

Feeling a bit self-conscious, Su Yu remembered his purpose halfway through his meal. "Sis, there's something I want to talk to you about. Did you recently take on a case involving the authentication of a famous painting?"

Lin Shuicheng acknowledged with a simple "Mm."

Su Yu continued, "Does Negative Two know about this?"

Lin Shuicheng paused, initially unsure who Su Yu was referring to. Upon realizing it was Fu Luoyin's nickname, he replied, "Yes, he does."

Su Yu hesitated before suggesting, "Sis, maybe you should reconsider doing that project. I just heard from someone that it's incredibly challenging, and you might not come out of it unscathed. Negative Two... he might not be aware of how difficult it is. If he knew, he'd probably advise against it or offer to take it on himself."

He knows that it was I who declined his assistance," Lin Shuicheng's lips curled into a faint smile. "Is this what you came to speak with me about today? Don't worry; I'll find a way."

Su Yu said, "But Sister, your competing team... Well, it's like this, I know there's a nanoscale arrangement scanning company that will be assisting Yu Fan with this project. Will that possibly..."

"Nanometer?" Lin Shuicheng's eyes curved into a subtle smile. "It's no issue."

He replied promptly, leaving Su Yu somewhat perplexed.

But when Lin Shuicheng spoke thus, Su Yu held his peace. He had intended to caution Lin Shuicheng to be extra vigilant and, if the opportunity arose, to withdraw from the situation as early as possible—this seemed the wisest course of action. After Dong Shuoye confided in him yesterday, Su Yu was so shaken that he scarcely touched his meal, his thoughts entirely consumed with how best to apprise Lin Shuicheng.

Yet, Lin Shuicheng's tone and demeanor were such that they could make one believe he was capable of doing it.

"Then you have a solution?" Su Yu asked with full hope.

Lin Shuicheng smiled. "I'm still searching for one."

Su Yu: "...."

There were barely four days left!

Yet, Lin Shuicheng seemed completely unconcerned and even found time to sit on the sofa playing video games after dinner.

He let Su Yu entertain himself, who took the opportunity to show off more photos of the dishes Lin Shuicheng had prepared to Fu Luoyin. Then, he secretly asked, "It looks like Elder Brother isn't that busy. I saw him playing a game."

After several minutes, Fu Luoyin replied, "He's thinking. Don't bother him."

Su Yu didn't believe it for a second. Who could think about academic problems while gaming?

It was obvious that Fu Luoyin, that bastard, was being possessive and wary of anyone taking away Lin Shuicheng's attention, as evidenced by his previous action of blocking him.

Watching Lin Shuicheng play for a while, Su Yu suddenly felt like asking, "Elder Brother, do you play MOBA games like 'Pupil of the Abyss'?"

Lin Shuicheng was still playing Match-Three puzzles in his first year of grad school, so Su Yu guessed that he probably hadn't played any serious games since childhood. The new game had recently gained popularity, and he would occasionally team up with Dong Shuoye and Fu Luoyin for a match, but not often. Fu Luoyin and the others were too busy, preferring simpler activities like playing Poker.

Lin Shuicheng was taken aback, clearly unfamiliar with the game Su Yu mentioned. Su Yu opened the game interface to show him, and Lin Shuicheng said with interest, "I've never tried it, but I can give it a shot. Let me download it and switch my focus."

With that, he searched for the app and began downloading it in the background.

In just two or three minutes, Lin Shuicheng finished downloading it and logged into the game directly with his social account.

Su Yu had already created the room and was waiting for him. Impatient to go through the beginner's tutorial, Lin Shuicheng skipped it and joined Su Yu's room directly. The moment Su Yu saw him, he immediately clicked "start," but to his surprise, at the same time, another person jumped into the room, perfectly timing their entrance to join their team.

"Damn it!" Su Yu exclaimed in shock.

He had forgotten to disable the automatic friend invite feature when setting up the room. The one who had entered was Bai Yiyi, a girl he knew.

Bai Yiyi was one of the girls from the military compound and was also in the group chat. She could be considered Su Yu's childhood friend since they had been classmates from primary school all the way to junior high, with a relatively close relationship. Ever since Su Yu joined the group, she would drag him to play games every day, and they would duo queue together, steadily climbing the ranks.

Upon realizing there was someone else in the team, Bai Yiyi thought Su Yu was playing alone and asked, "Su Yu, who's this person in the team? Isn't this the advanced arena?"

In a fluster, Su Yu explained to Lin Shuicheng, "Sorry, I forgot to turn off the auto-join. Should we restart the game? I know this girl; I can't kick her out."

Lin Shuicheng was unconcerned, "No need, I'm not very good at this game anyway. If your friend is here, just let her play with us. She won't mind if I'm inexperienced, right?"

Meanwhile, Bai Yiyi frantically poked Su Yu, "Hey, where are you? Why aren't you responding?"

Feeling somewhat awkward, Su Yu replied, "I'm busy right now, playing with a friend. Sorry."

He had witnessed how the others in the group treated Lin Shuicheng, and the collision of the two situations made for an awkward encounter.

"Goddamn inconvenience! I asked your aunt, and you've been free ever since you quit. Come join me to rank up!" Bai Yiyi said. "Remember to open the advanced arena next round."

Su Yu replied, "...It's really inconvenient. I'll play with you later."

There was a moment of silence on the other end before a direct channel call came in. The person on the line immediately asked, "Is that Lin Shuicheng in the room? ?"

Su Yu was startled, his voice sounding strange. "How did you know?"

Bai Yiyi sneered. "Are you stupid? His nickname is his initial social account name. Do you think I'm blind to the LSC initials?"

Su Yu took a closer look and realized it was true. Lin Shuicheng was using his social account, which displayed his initials. Anyone who knew him would recognize it.

After he had openly supported Lin Shuicheng in the group, others became more subtle when discussing the topic. Whenever they talked about Lin Shuicheng, they would avoid involving him and be more cautious with their words.

Bai Yiyi sent a smiley emoji. "So you'd rather play with him than me, huh? Su Yu, you're something else. How long have you known him compared to us? It's just a game; it's not like he'll eat you. Besides, the game's already started. Finish it first."

Switching to the team channel, Bai Yiyi greeted, "Good evening, handsome. Want to play together?"

Realizing the question was directed at him, Lin Shuicheng responded with an "um" – the sound transmitted through Su Yu's microphone. It sounded distant but pleasantly aloof.

Bai Yiyi paused for a moment before continuing, "Is it convenient to turn on the microphone?"

Before Su Yu could respond, Lin Shuicheng politely said, "It's not very convenient, sorry."

Speaking would distract him. When he played games, be it Match-3 or any other type, it was merely to stimulate his subconscious thoughts and alleviate stress. Games didn't require much mental effort, and with something to occupy his hands, he could think more effectively.

Just like how Fu Luoyin's needs increased the busier he was.

The reason why Lin Shuicheng chose games like Match-3 or Pairs was simple: the sound of blocks disappearing with a snap was soothing and rhythmic, something he enjoyed.

Su Yu let out a sigh of relief.

Since it wasn't convenient for Lin Shuicheng to speak, after much internal debate, he exited the game interface, opened his notepad, and typed a few words for Lin Shuicheng to read, "Brother-in-law, this lady is... a good friend of Ex-Boyfriend Minus Two. You know, that... oh, I don't know how to put it, but I reminded you about her before..."

Ex-boyfriend?

Lin Shuicheng was taken aback by Su Yu's serious reminder and then replied nonchalantly, "It's okay."

Su Yu was even more surprised by his reaction—was this the legendary air of a main partner?

Indeed, Lin Shuicheng is the rightful current boyfriend of Fu Luoyin, and he possesses every right to do so. Upon realizing this, Su Yu felt somewhat less illusory about the situation.

He told Bai Yiyi, "My brother-in-law isn't very experienced with these games, so please don't be too hard on him."

Bai Yiyi: "What are you afraid of? Do you think I'm someone who would do that?"

Saying this, Bai Yiyi initiated a screen-sharing session in the group chat.

She tagged everyone: "Su Yu and I are going to stream a game session with our minus-two boyfriend. Anyone interested in watching?"

Su Yu barely managed to calm himself down, but now his nerves were on edge. "Why did you post this in the group? Why start a video call while playing the game? What's the point?"

Bai Yiyi sent an emoji expressing innocence and grievance. "I hardly ever get to see Negative Two in person, and I've heard so much about him. I just wanted to share with everyone. Besides, he's such good friends with all of you, we'll inevitably meet someday. Just now, everyone was wondering if he had run away, but now we know he's still here playing the game – doesn't that clear things up?"

The game had already started, and Lin Shuicheng was circling around the respawn point, waiting for Su Yu. He asked, "What should I do?"

Seeing that Lin Shuicheng was waiting for him, Su Yu didn't want to argue with Bai Yiyi in front of him. He just wanted to finish the game quickly. "Forget it, let's just go with it. I'll play a support hero to protect him. After this game, it's just me and my sister-in-law. I'll talk to you later."

In the meantime, the group chat exploded with excitement as one member after another joined to watch the live stream.

Everyone repeatedly verified, "Lin Shuicheng himself?!? How did Su Yu manage to convince him?! Holy sh*t!!"

The last person to join the channel displayed the username "Summer."

They were playing on a 5v5 map. Su Yu had intended to help Lin Shuicheng pick an easy beginner hero, but he got sidetracked in their chat and forgot. Now, as he looked closely, Lin Shuicheng had chosen a notoriously difficult assassin character.

Su Yu: "Uh... Why did you choose this one, Sis?"

Lin Shuicheng replied succinctly, "It looks good."

Su Yu: "Alright then."

If Lin Shuicheng wanted to play, let him play! Who cared?

Lost in thought, Lin Shuicheng fell silent as soon as the game started, almost in a daze throughout.

Su Yu communicated with his teammates, explaining that they were guiding a newbie and asking the random players to take care of the jungle. Then, he instructed Lin Shuicheng to go top lane.

Su Yu took a support role and followed closely behind him.

Lin Shuicheng obediently held the top lane, eliminating minions as they came and casting whichever skill was available – for a while, it was a surprisingly harmonious and natural flow.

However, as the game progressed into mid-game, the opposing team clearly noticed the unconventional lineup on their side: an assassin and support in the top lane, while the marksman struggled through the jungle. Sensing that Lin Shuicheng was a beginner, they sent four players to crush them.

Two against four, Su Yu and Lin Shuicheng stood no chance. In less than two seconds, their screens went black.

After respawning, Lin Shuicheng remained in his daze. The enemy continued to ambush them, resulting in another brutal defeat.

At this point, Su Yu began to understand what Fu Luoyin had mentioned earlier – Lin Shuicheng was indeed preoccupied with his thoughts, completely engrossed in his own world. Even when Su Yu spoke beside him, Lin Shuicheng barely registered the words.

He simply repeated the cycle of moving, using skills, dying, and waiting to respawn.

No divine player could salvage this situation!

Within seven minutes, they were utterly defeated. The game ended, and a glaring "Defeat" flashed across the screen, a grim reminder of their loss.

Only then did Lin Shuicheng snap back to reality. "Is it over?"

Su Yu could only laugh and sigh in response.

Bai Yiyi sent a message to Su Yu with a chuckle, "Looks like you really haven't played any games before, Little Fish. Wait a moment, I'll teach him. Let's start a 1v1 match so he can get familiar with the abilities. He's being a bit too much; after all, I've been approached by a pro team before. I'll definitely bring him up to speed!"

The group chat was already in an uproar. "Is this seriously the level of gameplay a normal postgraduate can achieve? He's more robotic than the AI! Damn, he's way too inexperienced!"

"It's too pitiful, so pitiful that I can't bear to watch. Even the strongest hero of this season is being played like this."

Noticing that they hadn't resumed the game for quite some time, Lin Shuicheng realized it might be his fault. "Sorry, I was lost in thought. Let's restart."

Bai Yiyi opened a team chat and asked Lin Shuicheng, "A beginner, huh? That's not right. Let me create a 1v1 match for us so you can get familiar with your abilities. I'll teach you."

Bai Yiyi had already initiated a battle request through their past team-ups, which Lin Shuicheng accepted upon seeing it.

Su Yu was left out of the loop without a chance to intervene, dumbfounded.

Seeing Su Yu's expression, Lin Shuicheng comforted him, "It's alright, just a game."

Once again, he chose the assassin, still for the reason of "looking good."

In a 1v1 match against Su Yu's friend, Lin Shuicheng took the time to carefully study the skill panel and equipment list. Due to his prolonged examination, he remained at the spawn point when the game started.

He didn't turn on his microphone, and Bai Yiyi had also muted his game mic. He rejoined the group chat to talk to Su Yu.

Bai Yiyi: "Su Yu, is he asleep? Wake him up! If he's not playing, how can I teach him to familiarize himself with this hero?"

After a full game, Lin Shuicheng had a basic understanding of MOBA gameplay. It was an offensive and defensive game based on economic growth and territorial expansion. The pace of the game depended on the heroes' development and the outcome of battles.

He maneuvered his hero to the outermost tower, where Bai Yiyi was already waiting.

Due to Lin Shuicheng's inactivity, his economy was far behind, and he lacked proper equipment.

As a well-developed burst mage, Bai Yiyi rushed in and killed him in less than three seconds, leaving Lin Shuicheng no time to even use his abilities before the screen went black.

The group members were already laughing uncontrollably. "I apologize! I apologize! This isn't just AI, we should be apologizing to the AI!"

"I'm dying to know if he knows how to play Poker. Would he and Minus Two have nothing in common to talk about?!"

Unaware of the group chat and without his mic on, Lin Shuicheng didn't hear these comments. Su Yu, not wanting him to hear them, angrily muted the group chat and then told Lin Shuicheng, "Brother-in-law, if you're busy, maybe we can play again another time."

"No need," Lin Shuicheng replied, looking down at the screen.

He loved the metallic slicing sound the character made when executing its skills.

Speaking of stress relief, games like these that allowed real-time player versus player combat and scoring kills were the most effective.

Su Yu immediately knew from Lin Shuicheng's expression that things had taken a turn for the worse—he seemed to be getting hooked!

Just as he was about to gather his thoughts to come up with an excuse to convince Lin Shuicheng to put down the game—like suddenly craving a midnight snack—Lin Shuicheng looked up at him and asked softly, "Did you mute your microphone?"

Su Yu quickly replied, "No."

"Turn it off."

Su Yu promptly muted it, only to hear Lin Shuicheng say, "No wonder you were reminding me. It seems like this girl on the other team isn't too fond of me."

Confused, Su Yu responded, "How did you figure that out, sis-in-law? —Wait, I was giving you hints just now! Don't mind them, they're just a bunch of spoiled little girls who know Negative Two's ex... they're usually not like this."

Lin Shuicheng interrupted, "It's fine. I took a look at both teams' compositions. The hero she picked probably isn't suitable for teaching. If someone were to teach gaming, they wouldn't use this approach."

Su Yu whispered apologetically, "I'm sorry, sis-in-law... I didn't expect her to suddenly join the room. They... they haven't been like this before. They're usually quite normal, except when it comes to the matter with Negative Two."

Lin Shuicheng smiled. "As you said, it's just a game. No big deal."

After respawning, he quickly returned to the lane. This time, he lasted a little longer and was only killed five seconds later.

Lin Shuicheng clicked on the death replay to check the damage panel.

They were already at a disadvantage early on, and his character lacked defensive abilities. Even when he stayed under his tower in the late game, he was still easily killed repeatedly, ultimately leading to their loss.

Bai Yiyi's laughter echoed in the group chat, becoming increasingly crisp. "How about another round? Hahaha, I didn't even get to enjoy the game. It ended too quickly."

"Your performance improved later on. At least you learned to stay under the tower, not acting like a bot anymore! Hahahaha!"

Bai Yiyi sent another invitation, which Lin Shuicheng accepted. This time, he logged back into the game promptly and, under Su Yu's guidance, grasped the concept of last-hitting minions for gold.

Their economies were now fairly similar. As an assassin with a short attack range, Lin Shuicheng could only farm under the tower, while Bai Yiyi was a mage.

Despite this, Su Yu gradually noticed that Lin Shuicheng's gold had started to increase without him realizing – he was persistently snatching every last gold coin, even if it meant taking some damage. In the fourth minute, when Lin Shuicheng's health was dangerously low, Su Yu tried to advise him to return to base for healing. However, before he could do so, Lin Shuicheng charged out – right into a full combo from Bai Yiyi.

Surprisingly, Lin Shuicheng did not die. With a nearly invisible sliver of health remaining, he calmly finished off the last minion and then teleported back to base to heal.

Su Yu initially thought it was just a coincidence, and the group members also commented, "What great luck, he almost died. If only Yiyi's damage was a bit higher."

But soon, Su Yu realized that it wasn't a coincidence at all. Lin Shuicheng consistently managed to secure the most gold despite being on low health, constantly adjusting his equipment. When Bai Yiyi geared for offense, he countered with defense, always on the brink of death but never succumbing. Instead, her eagerness to claim kills cost their team valuable gold resources.

After reaching level seven, Lin Shuicheng glanced at both teams' panels and declared, "Alright."

Confused, Su Yu asked, "What do you mean by 'alright'?"

Almost immediately, he witnessed Lin Shuicheng initiate an attack!

The clashing of weapons reverberated, and the amplified game sounds carried a hint of aggression. Lin Shuicheng flashed forward, landing a hit on Bai Yiyi's mage. Bai Yiyi reacted swiftly, activating her ultimate ability, seemingly determined to end Lin Shuicheng's life right there. "Haha, you're actually fighting back? The AI kid has gotten better."

However, her laughter didn't last long. After dealing a single hit, Lin Shuicheng skillfully retreated using his second skill, escaping with barely half his health remaining but successfully deceiving her into wasting her ultimate. Once she had exhausted her abilities, Lin Shuicheng unleashed his own ultimate, charging forward. Two seconds later, Bai Yiyi's screen went dark.

Lin Shuicheng, still on low health, stood his ground. Instead of returning to base for healing, he began pushing the tower.

As if planned, the moment Bai Yiyi's character respawned, Lin Shuicheng's minions caught up, easily capturing her first tower without resistance.

By the time Bai Yiyi returned fully revived, Lin Shuicheng had already secured another gold wave and headed back to base for regeneration.

Su Yu found it increasingly convincing that Lin Shuicheng was intentionally playing this way, but he still couldn't quite believe it—was there really someone who could calculate with such precision?

But Lin Shuicheng's survival from each brush with death silently supported this theory—he studied the stats of two heroes, constantly calculating economy, damage, defense, minions, and skill cooldowns in real-time!

Every advance and retreat was premeditated, knowing exactly when to strike.

Su Yu had vaguely heard of such computational skills in professional gaming strategists, but never imagined witnessing it firsthand—before this, the closest person he knew with such abilities was Dong Shuoye, yet even Dong Shuoye wasn't adept at dynamic calculations.

After her first death, Bai Yiyi lost her spirits and was astonished when she respawned, "How can he escape with only slivers of health every time? Did you give him some kind of cheat, Su Yu?"

"It's so frustrating, I'm always just a moment away from having my skill ready, just a moment away!"

Bai Yiyi discovered her gaming experience had become miserable: whenever Lin Shuicheng returned to base for healing, her minions wouldn't push the line; every time she died, Lin Shuicheng would lead his minions to attack the tower; and during direct exchanges, her crucial skill would inevitably be on cooldown.

After a long silence, Bai Yiyi said, "He picked a hero that counters me, it's only natural for him to have the upper hand. His hero choice is a bit unfair."

Upon hearing this, Su Yu couldn't help but feel a slight urge to laugh. He turned to Lin Shuicheng and said, "Brother-in-law, the little sister says your hero is countering her, she wants you to switch."

Lin Shuicheng also smiled gently, pursing his lips.

Another match invitation popped up on the other side, and Lin Shuicheng accepted it.

Bai Yiyi still chose her signature mage, and after some thought, Lin Shuicheng confirmed his pick—

Mirage Mage!

He picked the exact same hero.

This time, he didn't even glance at the stats panel. After several matches against Bai Yiyi, Lin Shuicheng had a clear understanding of this hero's capabilities.

He won swiftly, and Su Yu witnessed a brilliant laning phase—

In this identical mirror match-up, Lin Shuicheng always knew when to engage in a trade, when to retreat to wait for his cooldowns, and when to back off for farm.

Bai Yiyi realized that despite not losing a single minion, she was once again economically suppressed by Lin Shuicheng after a few exchanges!

This mage was a strong early game hero. Once Lin Shuicheng got his items, he charged forward to skill-trade without hesitation, destroying the tower and snowballing his lead. To Bai Yiyi's surprise, she couldn't hold out for more than seven minutes in this game!

The same path, the same map, the same mage in a mirror image.

Lin Shuicheng fell silent, manipulating his in-game character like a mechanical puppet. His gaze had drifted away, and an indifferent aura began to envelop him.

In the mirrored scene, twins indistinguishable under any scrutiny.

—How could one differentiate them?

"LSC defeated Bai Yiyi, Stay Up Late Not Allowed."

Without knowledge of their innate differences, how could one tell apart a pair of identical twins through mere disparities?

"LSC defeated Bai Yiyi, Stay Up Late Not Allowed."

...

As the game progressed, Lin Shuicheng's economic advantage grew exponentially. Bai Yiyi suddenly realized that the previous match was repeating itself, only this time, the roles were reversed. Lin Shuicheng fearlessly crossed the defensive towers to hunt her down! With an overwhelming equipment superiority, Bai Yiyi had nowhere to retreat, resulting in a 0-20 kill count against her!

The game ended with Lin Shuicheng's victory, a decisive triumph.

The group chat was eerily quiet.

Bai Yiyi turned off the group video stream and told Su Yu, "Forget it, let's not play tonight. If he knows how to play, why did he pretend to be a beginner? Is that amusing?"

Su Yu replied, "… Your brother-in-law is indeed a beginner. He even crashed into walls when he first started the game. You can't blame others for saying you're bad. A graduate student should have good learning skills. Everyone has their first time, right? It's ridiculous to forbid others from improving."

Bai Yiyi shot back, "Are you trying to argue with me, Su Yu? You've been acting strange lately. What spell did that Lin guy cast on you? Snap out of it. He's taken Ranran's spot…"

Su Yu said apologetically, "Sorry, Negative Two made the first move. Both of us are single and willing. In my opinion, your brother-in-law didn't do anything wrong."

He was simmering with anger.

"Not playing anymore?" Lin Shuicheng asked Su Yu when he saw the other side log out.

The mention of this made Su Yu's anger dissipate as he smiled. "I guess he got discouraged by your gaming skills. Brother-in-law, do you enjoy this game?"

Looking at the game screen, Lin Shuicheng rubbed his temples. "It's rather rigid and requires a lot of concentration. I'm more suited for Match-3 games."

Su Yu had already witnessed his talent in such games, so he couldn't help asking, "How do you play Match-3 games, Brother-in-law? Do you need to calculate?"

"Match-3 games don't require calculation, but if you aim for the fastest completion time, it does," Lin Shuicheng explained. "I participated in a Match-3 simulation strategy competition before, where we competed for the shortest time. It's essentially a pathfinding problem under the field of operational research. Quantum computers hadn't been invented then, so most people used iterative algorithms. Now, it could probably be solved with brute force."

Su Yu: "..."

He watched helplessly as Lin Shuicheng reopened the game of Mahjong Connect, once again immersing himself in a self-contained, detached state.

Before Su Yu returned home that day, he sent Fu Luoyin a text message: "I'm convinced, Sister-in-law truly can think while gaming!"

Fu Luoyin chuckled. "He hasn't figured it out yet?"

Su Yu: "I dare not inquire, but it seems not yet. My sister-in-law has been playing Bejeweled to relieve stress, eliminating those crispy sounds."

When Fu Luoyin returned home, Lin Shuicheng was still engrossed in playing Match-Three, lounging on the sofa with no awareness of his arrival, his brow still knitted in deep contemplation.

He had three days left after this night.

Fu Luoyin poured him a glass of warm water and gently touched his cheek as he approached.

Lin Shuicheng put down his phone, but his gaze remained distant, lost in thought.

Seeing his state, Fu Luoyin didn't press further, simply saying, "I'll go to sleep first. Remember to rest early."

Lin Shuicheng didn't even acknowledge him with a mere "mm-hmm," so Fu Luoyin engaged in a one-sided interaction with the commander for a while before getting ready for bed.

In the middle of the night, Fu Luoyin vaguely sensed that Lin Shuicheng had finished his ablutions and climbed into bed.

Lin Shuicheng's body carried the faint scent of soap as he leaned in to kiss him.

Starting from above, he kissed Fu Luoyin's brows, nose, and lips, awakening him in the process.

The room was dark, and Fu Luoyin attempted to move, but Lin Shuicheng softly whispered, "Don't move."

In the darkness, only the moonlight filtering in from outside illuminated the glimmer in Lin Shuicheng's eyes.

Fu Luoyin reached out to brush his fingers through Lin Shuicheng's hair and murmured, "…Lin Shuicheng."

Lin Shuicheng nipped at him, his voice rough, "Don't move, don't speak, I don't want to hear your voice."

He was quite fierce.

Fu L