translator: Oyen editor: Ciel
The competition for the fourth week would be held in Guangzhou. On Friday night, everyone boarded a high-speed train there. As soon as they checked into the hotel, Li Muran’s phone rang.
Li Muran had a rarely seen gentle expression on his face as he answered the phone call, leading Shen He to guess that the caller must be someone close to him. Sure enough, Li Muran soon spoke. “Mom, I just arrived at the hotel, en… you want to come over?”
Here, he suddenly paused, turning around to look at Shen He.
Shen He lowered his head, pretending to play with his mobile phone. Too preoccupied with listening to Li Muran’s conversation, he failed to realise that he was holding his phone upside down. Li Muran didn’t expose him, instead turning away to speak. “Mom, are you not in Shenzhen?”
Ming Hui smiled. “I’m in Guangzhou for business this week. I saw the match schedule on the official website yesterday; Mojue will be playing in Guangzhou this weekend, right? I would like to go over and see you. Is it convenient?”
“Alright,” Li Muran agreed. “I will send you the hotel address.”
After hanging up the call, Li Muran walked over to Shen He. “My mother will come over later.”
“Oh, okay.” Smiling, Shen He scratched his head. “Then I’ll go next door to find Pei Yu, I won’t disturb the both of you.”
“It doesn’t matter,” Li Muran shook his head. “My mother has a good temper. You don’t have to avoid her. She also wants to know my roommate.”
“Okay,” Shen He agreed. “I’ll change my clothes first, in case your mother laughs at me!” Since Li Muran had already said so, Shen He very naturally stayed. However, since an elder was visiting, he couldn’t be so sloppily dressed, otherwise Li Muran’s mother might think that Mojue’s team members were all bad boys.
For the sake of the team’s image, Shen He immediately got out of bed. Pulling out a t-shirt and a pair of jeans from his suitcase, Shen He changed his attire, before combing his hair neatly. In the blink of an eye, Shen He transformed from a messy little beggar to a gentle-looking teenager.
Seeing him like this, Li Muran immediately felt he was much more pleasing to the eye—— In fact, if Shen He combed his hair and put on his clothes neatly, his appearance would still be very pleasing to the eye. Especially when laughing, his two shallow dimples were quite prominent, giving others a good impression of him.
Shen He cleaned himself up quickly. Unexpectedly, Li Muran’s mother was also very efficient, and she arrived at their door ten minutes after the call ended.
Hearing the doorbell, Li Muran opened the door. The woman standing before him was as smart and capable as he remembered, with a short, sharp haircut and a professional-looking suit and skirt. Ming Hui smiled at him, carrying a delicately-wrapped gift in her hands.
“Mother,” Li Muran greeted her.
Poking his head around the corner, Shen He peeked at the beautiful and elegant young-looking woman. She looked like she was in her thirties, and her skin was in particularly good condition.
“It’s been a long time, son,” Ming Hui greeted, gently hugging Li Muran. “You’ve grown taller again. Are you alone?”
“My roommate is here, too.” Li Muran stood aside, allowing his mother to enter the room. “This is Shen He. I share a dormitory with him in the club.”
Entering the room, Ming Hui smiled. “Shen He? I heard about him from your brother. He’s the apprentice of your captain, the one people call the monkey god, yes?”
“Yes, hello auntie!” Walking over, Shen He greeted her politely. “I’m a little embarrassed to call you auntie, auntie looks very young, just like a big sister.”
“Your words are really sweet.” Ming Hui realised that the smartly-dressed teenager before her had big, bright eyes, and two dimples in the corners of his mouth when he laughed. He seemed lively and lovely, very different when compared to her face-paralysed son.
She was very fond of Shen He, carefully studying him as she sat down on the sofa. Shen He didn’t mind, pouring a glass of water and offering it to her. “Auntie, please drink some water!”
This teenager had a friendly and cordial character; it was a good thing for her son to have such a cheerful and lively roommate. Accepting the glass of water from Shen He, Ming Hui took a sip. “I’ve been a little busier lately, and haven’t had much time to follow yours and Yueran’s competitions. Still, I looked at the rankings. Mojue is ranked third now, right?”
“En,” Li Muran nodded and said nothing more.
Shen He felt that the atmosphere was a little awkward, so he enthusiastically offered an explanation. “Auntie, don’t worry, we are only temporarily in third place. It is because the great gods in the team didn’t play in the first three weeks, and gave the chance to us newcomers to play! In the later stages, once my master and the others go up, our points will slowly increase.”
“No wonder,” Ming Hui exclaimed. “I saw that your team had ranked first before, and only recently did your rank fall. I was concerned if anything bad had happened, but it turned out to be like this.”
“Does auntie also pay attention to our results?” Shen He beamed.
“En,” Ming Hui nodded. “I don’t understand the game very much, and because I’m usually busy with work, I only watch the replays occasionally. But looking through the comments online tells me that Mojue is a very popular team.”
“Of course!” Shen He replied proudly. “Our Mojue team has god Mo and god Han, who are called the ‘Twin Stars’ by netizens. They are both very powerful players!”
Ming Hu smiled. “Really? Muran seldom mentions these things to me.”
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
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“My little brother really has a big mouth.” Li Muran frowned.
“It really was a slip of the tongue on Yueran’s part,” Ming Hui smiled. “When I heard what you were planning, I thought that you were unhappy in the team. It seems that it isn’t the case?”
“There is no unhappiness, the team members are very kind to me.” Li Muran replied.
“Then, why are you in such a hurry to come back?” Ming Hui wondered.
Li Muran was silent.
Ming Hui saw through his thoughts almost immediately. “Since you chose to play the game, I hope that you can follow through with your decision and not give up halfway.” Hanging the exquisite gift box she brought to Li Muran, she smiled at him gently. “Today is yours’ and Yueran’s 19th birthday. This is the present I prepared for the both of you. When you return to the club, you can bring it to him.”
Li Muran replied. “Mother, there’s no need to worry about it, we have grown up…”
Ming Hui patted her son on the shoulder. “I’m usually busy with work and don’t have much time to worry about you all. If I ignore even your birthday, then as a mother, I really would be a failure.” Stuffing the gift box into her son’s hands, she continued. “Take it. If you feel embarrassed, wait until you make a lot of money in the future, and then return the gift to your mother.”
Lowering his head, Li Muran had to accept the gift. “Thank you, mother.”
Glancing at Shen He, Ming Hui apologised. “I came in a hurry this time, and didn’t bring you a welcome gift… how about this, I’ll invite you to dinner.”
“No need, no need,” Shen He waved his hands hurriedly. “Auntie is too polite!”
“Let’s go,” Ming Hui smiled. “If it’s convenient, call your other teammates. I would like to meet everyone.”
Li Muran had no choice but to send a message in the Mojue team chat. My mother came to see me. She wants to invite everyone to have a meal. Is it convenient?”
Qin Mo: “No problem. @everyone Gather at the hall in ten minutes.”
Seeing the message in the group chat, Shen He immediately sent a private message to Qin Mo: “Master, Muran’s mother is in our room. She brought a gift with her. Today is Muran’s birthday!”
Qin Mo: “I know.”
“How did master know?” Shen He was stunned.
Qin Mo replied: “I have the birthday records of all the players. I was going to give Muran a surprise for the occasion. Since his mother is here, let’s have a meal together.”
Shen He was suddenly excited. “Really? Then, can I also get a surprise on my birthday? O(∩_∩)O~ “
Qin Mo: “Yes. We’ll talk about it when the time comes.”
Shen He decisively screenshot this sentence as proof, in case his master forgot.
***
Ten minutes later, Li Muran, Shen He and Ming Hui arrived at the lobby on the first floor, where all of Mojue’s members were already present.
Qin Mo took the initiative to greet Ming Hui with a handshake. “Hello Auntie, I am Qin Mo, Mojue’s captain.”
Looking at the handsome young man before her, Ming Hui couldn’t help but voice her admiration. “I’ve heard Muran mention you; you’re really young and promising.”
The handsome mixed-race young man with blond hair and black eyes next to him also held out his hand. “I’m the vice-captain, Xiao Han. I’m also Muran’s master.”
Ming Hui sighed. “As expected, seeing the legendary Twin Stars in real life is very different from just hearing about you both… The members of your team are really very good-looking!”
“Auntie has good insight,” Xiao Han replied straightforwardly. “One of the important factors for Mojue being so popular is its appearance value.”
“Can you be a little bit more modest?” Qin Mo frowned.
“Auntie praised our good looks,” Xiao Han protested. “It really is a fact! Isn’t it, auntie?”
“That’s right,” Ming Hui tried to refrain from laughing. “I’m very glad to have met so many handsome and beautiful people. As thanks for taking care of my son, I’ll treat everyone to dinner tonight.”
“Auntie is too polite,” Zhu Qingyue replied gently. “In fact, Muran is the one taking care of us. Without him adding blood, god Mo and god Han will only be handsome for ten seconds.”
“That’s right, we need the care of our milk dad!” He Beiguang added.
“No one can offend the milk dad,” Liu Hong nodded. “Otherwise, if Muran ignores us in the group battle, we’ll be very miserable!”
Li Muran: “…”
Li Muran rarely spoke to his teammates, but this situation inexplicably gave him a feeling of warmth.
Ming Hui was also very happy that her son was so highly valued by his teammates. Smiling, she offered, “Where does everyone want to eat?”
“Auntie, sister Liu is our team manager,” Qin Mo replied. “She has already made a reservation at a restaurant, so we can go there.”
Naturally, Ming Hui did not have anything against this. Splitting up, the group took a few cars to the restaurant. Liu Xiang, Liu Hong, Qin Mo, and Xiao Han were the first to enter to settle the arrangements, while Li Muran entered last.
According to the group’s directions, Li Muran searched for the private room on the second floor. The moment he pushed open the door, the lights were abruptly turned off, while Liu Hong and Liu Xiang pushed a cart over to him. Seated on top of the cart was a large fruit cake with the words “Happy Birthday, Muran”, and exactly 19 colourful candles.
“Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you…” The entire team sang the birthday song.
Li Muran stood stiffly in the doorway. Looking at those familiar faces illuminated by candlelight, even the usually-calm him couldn’t help but feel a little touched.
—— He had never celebrated a birthday like this before.
When he was younger, his father would always be abroad, and would only wish him a happy birthday via call, occasionally sending a few toys back as a birthday gift. It had always been just them twins and their mother, just the three of them. Although warm, it had still felt a little lacking. Later on, after their parents divorced, their mother brought them to Shenzhen for a brand new start. The two brothers were very understanding of their mother’s hardships, and from then on, they took the initiative to buy a cake for themselves every birthday, prepared dinner, and waited for their mother to come home.
Celebrating a birthday with his friends… to Li Muran, this was the very first time.
He had never imagined that Qin Mo would know his birthday, let alone specially make arrangements for the occasion.
Seeing the words “Happy Birthday, Muran” on the cake accompanied by nineteen candles, no more and no less, Li Muran’s eyes were suddenly filled with tears.
After the song, Qin Mo gently prompted. “Make a wish, then blow out the candles.”
Looking at his teammates’ smiles under the candlelight, Li Muran took in a deep breath, and made his wish.
—— I wish that Mojue’s journey will be smooth-sailing, and that we will win the championship at the end of the year.
He had never regarded himself as a member of Mojue before. On one hand, he wasn’t good at communicating with others, and did not have deep ties with his teammates; on the other hand, he had long since laid out a plan to realise his dream of playing professionally in one year, before immediately retiring and going home to help his mother.
The conversation he shared with Shen He a few days ago had shaken his belief in that idea.
The birthday dinner tonight, on the other hand, caused his idea to collapse like a building without a strong foundation.
——Without him adding blood, god Mo and god Han will only be handsome for ten seconds.
—— We need the care of our milk dad.
Just now, his teammates’ words had inadvertently expressed the importance that they attached to him.
He was Mojue’s healer. He was a player that god Han and god Mo had painstakingly trained. Once he was gone, the team would have to look for another healer…
How could he be so selfish as to abandon his teammates without a care?
Clenching his hands into fists, Li Muran opened his eyes, blowing out the candles in a single exhale.
***
Everyone happily chatted with each other during the dinner. Usually, Li Muran spoke very little, but he spoke a little more today, and even took the initiative to cut a slice of cake for everyone.
Ming Hui hadn’t expected that her son’s unsociable character could be accepted by Mojue’s team members. In particular, Qin Mo and Xiao Han did not reject Muran at all, and in fact praised him a few times—— although this did not rule out the suspicion that they were only saying nice things because she was around, Ming Hui felt that she had a good eye for people, and that Mojue’s members were sincere in their care for Li Muran. No part of tonight had been a lie.
After dinner, Ming Hui explained that she would be taking the high-speed train back to Shenzhen later in the evening. Li Muran told Qin Mo that he would be sending her to the railway station.
Before entering the waiting room, Ming Hui suddenly asked. “Muran, do you understand the meaning of the gift I gave you?”
Although the gift hadn’t been opened yet, Li Muran could tell from the box that his mother had given him an expensive watch.
He thought for a few moments. “Giving me a watch… do you want me to make the most of my time?”
“En,” Minghui smiled. “While you are still young, take advantage of this time and don’t make decisions that you will regret later on.” Patting her son on the shoulder, she continued, “I can see that your teammates really care about you. It’s rare to meet a group of like-minded peers; you should cherish them.”
Li Muran was silent for a long moment, before nodding. “I understand.”
Reaching out, Ming Hui hugged her son close, before turning to leave.
Watching her pass though the security check, her figure vanishing among the crowd, Li Muran stood in place for a long time before returning to the hotel.
—— Don’t make decisions that you would regret, was it?
His mother was right. She had her own career, and as her son, he should also have ideals that he adhered to. If he went back solely for the reason of taking care of his mother and in exchange, gave up all of this, not only would he be letting her down, he would also have been irresponsible towards his teammates.
God Mo had made a comeback three years after his retirement. On the other hand, he, Li Muran, had only just become a qualified player; there was no reason for him to give up halfway.
Understanding this, Li Muran was suddenly enlightened.
Decisively pulling out his mobile phone, he sent a message to Xiao Han. Master, I know that you and god Mo have been cultivating my tactical awareness. Thank you for your efforts. After returning to Changsha, I would like to renew my contract with Mojue. I promise never to transfer. Please rest assured that as long as I play the game, I will always be a member of Mojue.”
Upon receiving this message, Xiao Han immediately showed Qin Mo his mobile phone. Reading the contents of the message, Qin Mo smiled. “It seems that the problem we were worried about has been solved. Since Muran is determined to stay with Mojue, I can also confidently train him.”
“I’m not sure if it was Xiao He’s effort, or if he figured it out by himself?” Xiao Han mused.
“No matter which one, the end result is satisfactory,” Qin Mo replied easily.
As he spoke, he picked up Xiao Han’s mobile phone and replied to the message. “This is Qin Mo. I am very pleased with your decision. Now that you have decided, from next week onwards, you will make the team’s arrangements with me. I will give you a year to learn the different tactical layouts, after which you will take over as an interning captain. I will supervise. This will be until I think you have enough ability to lead Mojue. Then, I can rest assured when I retire.”
“…” Li Muran stared at this long message on his phone. He couldn’t believe his eyes.
How could Qin Mo choose a loner like himself who wasn’t good with words as Mojue’s next-generation captain?
Because he had witnessed such bloody scenes in his childhood, he closed himself off. Even as a child he had few friends, and was often excluded in school; when he came to Dragon Song, all he wanted was to play in obscurity for two years.
—— Silence, the ID he gave himself, was a portrayal of his heart.
But unexpectedly, even with such a serious defect, he was appreciated by Qin Mo, accepted as an apprentice by Xiao Han, and became Qin Mo’s chosen successor.
What qualifications did he have to be favorably looked upon by god Mo?
Shocked, Li Muran typed out a reply with trembling fingers. “God Mo, my ability is very limited, and I might not be suitable as a captain.”
“Don’t doubt yourself, let alone question my vision,” was Qin Mo’s blunt reply. “The fact that I chose you is proof that you have the potential to become an excellent captain.”
Li Muran: “…”
God Mo was very domineering when dealing with team affairs, and took after his master Ling Xuefeng’s style.
Unable to stop halfway, Li Muran had no choice but to accept captain Qin’s training.
He suddenly realised that he seemed to have jumped into a pit dug by god Mo, but… this time, he jumped in willingly.
His mother is really amazing~ 😍 Even though she’s very busy, she still takes care of her children. No wonder Li Muran thought of her as a goddess!
It’s good that Li Muran has decided to stay in the club! Without a milkdad how can they survive lol
I wonder will Li Muran tell Shen He about his past in the future?
Thank you for the update 💜💜💜
Yesss, although she’s busy, she still spare her times for her children, what a super mom ❤
Lol, Mojue will collapse without milkdad 🤣
Hmm, i don’t know if Shen He will know or not 🤔
You’re welcome~! <3