chapter 1 (part 3)

But their defenses were drowned out by the louder voices of angry antis.

Netizen 6: I’m not invested, but Gu Wei seems pretty unlikable. His fans are getting roasted for defending him...

Netizen 7: I’ve been saying this! I don’t get why Wandering cast him. They just wanted his popularity, didn’t they? He has no personality.

The clip had been shared by a popular, verified blogger, and naturally, Gu Wei’s lack of charm became a trending topic.

Gu Wei closed Weibo, his mind racing. He was wide awake now, so he got out of bed to wash his face and brush his teeth. When he looked in the mirror, his eyes were red—he hadn’t gotten enough sleep.

He finished up in the bathroom, dressed quickly, and checked his phone just in time to answer a call from his manager, Zhao-jie.

"Up yet?" Zhao-jie asked, her voice cold. "Seen the trending tags?"

"I’m up. Good morning, Zhao-jie," Gu Wei said, his voice a little nasally. "Sorry about this..."

His sweet, apologetic tone made Zhao Ya bite back her irritation.

"A car’s waiting for you downstairs," she said, skipping the lecture. "Your photoshoot’s moved up by an hour. Mu Yue’s waiting in the car."

"Got it. Thanks, Zhao-jie!"

Gu Wei checked his reflection again, ran his fingers through his hair, threw on a jacket, and dashed downstairs.

The studio for his photoshoot was near a river. A van pulled up to the building, and two people stepped out, both wearing sunglasses, with a bodyguard following behind.

"Ge, no practice today?" Jiang Ying asked as he took off his shades.

Jiang Xun shook his head. "Nope, not today. We just finished a tournament last week, and tomorrow we’re off to Europe for a vacation. I have an interview nearby."

Jiang Xun was the captain of Team TMW, a pro FPS team. Known for his brilliant tactics and leadership, he was a legend in the esports world—God Xun.

His interview was at a location near the studio, and Jiang Xun planned to ignore the photoshoot and head straight there. But then he stopped when his brother, Jiang Ying, let out a disgusted sound.

"Hm?" Jiang Xun asked, looking over.

"Three o’clock," Jiang Ying said, nodding toward something. "See that guy? That’s my nemesis. He’s got more anti-fans than me."

Jiang Xun knew his brother had a so-called “nemesis,” but he’d never paid attention to the details. Running Team TMW took up all of his time, so the entertainment industry wasn’t really on his radar.

Still, since they were here, he glanced in the direction Jiang Ying pointed.

The moment his eyes landed on the target, Jiang Xun froze.

The “nemesis” was in the middle of a gaming magazine cover shoot. He wore camouflage fatigues with two streaks of oil paint smeared across his cheeks like war paint. Leaning against an armored car, he held a sniper rifle while camera flashes went off in rapid bursts.

Jiang Xun’s first thought was that the boy had ridiculously long eyelashes that gave his peach blossom-shaped eyes a touch of sultry charm. His lips were delicate, the corners turned up just enough to make him look adorably sweet.

He was handsome—but in a way that didn’t scream for attention.

The model glanced directly into one of the cameras, hoisting the heavy prop gun and trying his best to look fierce, as the director instructed. To Jiang Xun, he didn’t look intimidating at all. Just cute.

"You’ve really expanded your range," Jiang Xun said with a small smile. "Calling a minor your nemesis now?"

"He’s eighteen years and one month, okay?" Jiang Ying said flatly. "He just looks baby-faced and well-behaved. But his reputation’s even worse than mine."

Jiang Xun only made a low hum in response. "What’s his name?"

"Gu Wei," Jiang Ying replied. "I can’t believe they scheduled me after him."

The name and those eyes stirred something in Jiang Xun’s memory. He thought back to a tournament not long ago—his seventh consecutive victory as captain. One of his teammates had nudged him and pointed toward the crowd.

"That kid’s been to our last few games. He’s always staring at you. Think he’s your fan?"

Back then, the boy had worn a hat and a mask, hiding everything but his eyes. But those eyes… they’d been impossible to forget. Jiang Xun had caught himself searching for them at every match.

Jiang Ying started walking toward his own shoot but noticed Jiang Xun still standing there. He came back and jerked his head toward Gu Wei.

"Ge, remember that face. That’s my sworn nemesis. You know what that means? If I don’t crush his career, mine’s going down instead."

Jiang Xun nodded lightly. "Then perish."

"You’d let me die?!" Jiang Ying gaped, pointing at himself. It was like his brother had forgotten who his precious little brother was.

"Sorry," Jiang Xun said calmly. "Bad luck for you." He nodded toward Gu Wei. "That kid seems to be my fan. And I always protect my fans."

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