LOL: What does it mean to torture players?

The morning sunlight streamed into the living room through the huge floor-to-ceiling windows, and the air was filled with the faint aroma of fried eggs.

When Su Mo woke up, he felt as if his whole body had been taken apart.

My left arm is numb, and my right thigh is also flattened and I've lost all feeling in it.

He struggled to pull his arm out of Luo Xin's arms, and carefully moved Rita's leg off his stomach before finally getting out of bed.

Su Mo's lips curled into a helpless yet doting smile.

"What a sweet burden..."

He quietly finished washing up, left the room, and followed the aroma to the kitchen.

A slender figure wearing an apron was busy at the stove.

Xiaoyu was dressed in simple home clothes, her hair casually tied up, holding a spatula in her hand, intently frying bacon.

She moved very quietly, as if afraid of waking the people upstairs.

The morning light shone on her profile, making the fine downy hairs clearly visible.

Su Mo also knew that Xiao Yu had her own villa, which was given to her by Rita.

But the fact that she arrived so early and busied herself in the kitchen made Su Mo feel like it wasn't quite real...

Su Mo leaned against the door frame and stared for a while, until Xiao Yu turned around to get a plate and noticed him.

"Oh!" Xiaoyu was startled and almost dropped the shovel in her hand. "Brother Mo... Brother Mo? Why are you up so early? Did I wake you up?"

She hurriedly tidied her hair, her eyes darting around, as if she hadn't yet adjusted to being alone with Su Mo in this house.

Su Mo shook his head and walked straight over.

"No, I was wondering why you got up so early to cook for us. It's such a bother for you." Su Mo's voice was hoarse from just waking up, but it sounded particularly magnetic.

“I…I’m used to waking up early.” Xiaoyu lowered her head, not daring to look him in the eye. “Besides, Sister Shuang and the others must be exhausted. I was thinking of making some breakfast so they can eat as soon as they get up.”

Looking at her cautious demeanor, Su Mo recalled what Rita and the others had said last night, and a soft spot in his heart was touched.

He stepped forward and, without warning, gently wrapped his arms around Xiaoyu's waist from behind.

Xiaoyu's body stiffened instantly, her whole body turning as red as a boiled shrimp. She was still holding the spatula in her hand, too afraid to move: "Brother Mo... Brother Mozi?"

"Don't work so hard in the future," Su Mo said calmly. "This house is so big, we can hire a housekeeper. You're part of this family now, not here to be a babysitter."

Xiaoyu's eyes instantly reddened.

She understood the meaning behind Su Mo's words, and a surge of immense joy and grievance welled up in her heart.

"I...I don't feel tired." Xiaoyu's voice was somewhat happy. "As long as I can be by your side, I'm happy to do these things."

Su Mo chuckled softly, kissed her cheek, and whispered:
“Rita and the others complained to me about something last night.”

Xiaoyu's heart tightened: "What are you complaining about? Is there something I did wrong?"

"No," Su Mo said with a mischievous smile. "They said they're short one player for mahjong, so they can't always find enough people to play. They asked me to ask you if you know how to play mahjong. If you do, you can join this table from now on."

Xiaoyu was stunned.

Even if she was slow to understand, she still grasped the meaning behind "playing mahjong".

This is more than just playing cards; it's Rita and the others' approval, and even more so, Su Mo's promise.

She turned around, dropped the shovel, hugged Su Mo tightly around the waist, buried her face in his chest, and nodded vigorously:
"I can! I can play! I play very well!"

"Okay, it's settled then." Su Mo gently patted her head. "From now on, this will be your home too."

……

Ten minutes later, on the breakfast table.

The atmosphere at breakfast for five people was surprisingly harmonious.

Rita, Yu Shuang, and Luo Xin seemed to have reached a tacit understanding long ago. When they came downstairs and saw Xiao Yu sitting at the dining table, they just smiled at each other and didn't say anything. Instead, they naturally ate with Xiao Yu.

"Xiaoyu, this fried egg is so delicious! It's much better than the instant noodles Brother Mozi cooks!" Luo Xin said indistinctly while chewing on bacon.

"That's right, look who made it." Rita snorted arrogantly, then put a piece of ham on Xiaoyu's plate. "Eat more, you're so thin, you'll have to help Mozi with the cooking in the future."

Upon hearing this, Xiaoyu's face turned as red as an apple, while Yu Shuang glared helplessly at Rita: "Even eating can't shut you up."

Su Mo sat in the main seat, watching this scene, feeling a great sense of accomplishment.

However, this heartwarming scene did not last long.

Su Mo's phone, which was on the table, suddenly started vibrating wildly.

Immediately afterwards, Yu Shuang and Rita's phones also started ringing incessantly.

Su Mo picked up his phone and saw that it was Abu calling.

As soon as the call connected, Abu's signature loud voice came through the receiver.

"Hey? Brother Mozi, are you awake? You sound quite energetic right now."

Su Mo raised an eyebrow and took a sip of milk: "Just woke up. What's wrong? Why are you in such a hurry so early in the morning? Did something happen again?"

Abu spoke rapidly on the other end: "I need to talk to you about something important! We have a regular season game tomorrow, can you play one?"

"The last game?" Su Mo was a little surprised. "Isn't Saint Gun playing pretty well right now? He hasn't broken his winning streak, has he?"

"That's good," Abu sighed, then his tone turned serious. "But tomorrow's opponent is different; the attention is too high. Plus, your popularity is exploding right now, and the organizers and sponsors all want you to make an appearance. Even if you don't play the full BO3, just playing the first game would be fine. These days, the audience only cares about your face!"

Su Mo thought about it and realized that he was indeed bored during the recent off-season. Apart from spending time at home with these ladies, he was really itching to play.

"Alright," Su Mo agreed readily. "Anyway, I don't have any plans lately, so I'll just treat it as some exercise. Who's my opponent?"

Abu chuckled and uttered three letters: "RNG".

Su Mo paused slightly in his hand holding the phone, then a playful smile appeared on his lips.

No wonder Abu was in such a hurry to send him back.

EDG vs. RNG.

Although the main characters of the "Pig vs. Dog" rivalry are no longer around, it remains a staple of the LPL, known as the "Destined Showdown" between the Chinese and foreign teams.

Regardless of the two teams' records, whenever they meet, it's guaranteed to generate a lot of buzz.

“Okay, I understand,” Su Mo said calmly. “I will be at the venue on time tomorrow.”

"Alright! I've been waiting for you to say that! I'll have the operations team submit the starting lineup right away!" Abu hung up the phone with satisfaction.

Su Mo put down his phone and noticed that four pairs of eyes on the dining table were staring at him.

"What's wrong?" Su Mo touched his nose.

"You're playing tomorrow?" Rita was the first to react, her eyes lighting up. "Against RNG?"

Su Mo nodded: "Yeah, Abu asked me to fill in and show my face."

"Great!" Luo Xin clapped her hands excitedly. "I'm the host for tomorrow's schedule! Rita is the commentator!" Yu Shuang also chimed in with a smile, "Looks like we'll have to mobilize the whole family tomorrow. I'll be doing the post-match interviews."

Xiaoyu, watching from the side, felt a little envious and whispered, "Ah... I don't have my shift tomorrow, it's the day after tomorrow..."

"It's alright," Su Mo said with a smile. "You can sit in the first row of VIP seats tomorrow. It's in the family area, and it's close to us."

Xiaoyu's eyes lit up instantly, and she nodded vigorously: "Yes!"

……

The next afternoon, at the Hongqiao Tiandi Performing Arts Center.

Although it was just a regular season match, the entire venue was packed with people because of the hype of "EDG vs. RNG" and the news that Su Mo had announced his starting lineup at the last minute.

Outside the venue, scalped tickets have been inflated to several times their original price, yet they are still extremely difficult to obtain.

Fans of both teams had already put up banners outside the stadium early on, and the atmosphere was already tense even before the game started.

In the backstage lounge.

Su Mo, wearing that familiar red and black team uniform, was leaning back in his gaming chair with his eyes closed, resting.

Saint Gun suddenly handed over a bottle of water and said, "Brother Mozi, have some water."

Su Mo opened his eyes, took the water, and smiled: "Thanks."

Saint Gun scratched his head: "Brother Mozi, how many rounds are you planning to play?"

"I'll just play one game to scout things out for you guys. I heard Bin's been in good form lately, and I'd like to have a go at him," Su Mo said.

"I also want to see my brother Mozi play Bin!" Jungler Jiejie rubbed his hands together excitedly. "Brother Mozi, what are you going to play this time? Should I gank top at level two?"

Su Mo unscrewed the bottle cap and took a sip: "No need."

He stood up, stretched his wrists, and his knuckles made a crisp cracking sound.

"Since we're facing RNG, and Bin is an aggressive top laner... let's be fair and see if he's improved."

……

Meanwhile, at the front commentary booth.

Rita wore exquisite makeup and a red and black business suit today, exuding a powerful and sophisticated aura.

Sitting next to her were her old partners, Ji De and Guan Zeyuan.

"Alright, welcome to the LPL Spring Split regular season! I'm your commentator, Jide."

"I am Guan Zeyuan."

"I'm Rita."

Guan Zeyuan adjusted his glasses and said in a loud voice, "Today's match is highly anticipated! I believe everyone has already seen the roster before the match. That man is back!"

“Yes!” Rita chimed in, her tone brimming with undisguised pride. “Although it’s just a regular season match, Su Mo’s return undoubtedly adds the biggest highlight to this game.”

"On RNG's side, Bin is also a top-tier top laner who's currently in red-hot form," Remember analyzed. "It's a true clash of titans! I wonder how Mozi is maintaining his form after being away from the battlefield for so long?"

“I don’t think there’s anything to worry about,” Rita immediately defended. “I’ve seen Su Mo’s Rank records, and he’s on fire.”

"Oh? It seems Rita-sensei has inside information," Guan Zeyuan teased with a mischievous grin.

As they were talking, the screen switched to a different view, and the business plan (BP) session officially began!
The cheers from the entire audience instantly reached their peak!
"EDG! Come on!"

"RNG! Go for it!"

Amidst the rising cheers, EDG, on the blue side, swiftly banned their first three heroes, effectively shutting down RNG's preferred strategy.

When it was RNG's turn, they were clearly very wary of Su Mo, and all three bans were given to the top lane: Jayce, Fiora, and Camille.

"Wow! Still the same old style!" Guan Zeyuan exclaimed. "All three bans were given to the top laner! RNG really gave Mozi a lot of face."

"Then what can Su Mo take?"

Just as everyone was speculating, EDG's first-floor avatar was instantly locked.

The moment that hero was revealed, the entire arena erupted in uproar, followed by deafening screams!
She was a female warrior holding a broken sword, with a desolate look in her eyes.

Riven, the Exile!
"The day the broken sword is reforged, the knight will return!" Rita excitedly shouted that classic line.

"Holy crap, he instantly locked in Riven on the first floor?!" Guan Zeyuan's voice suddenly rose, his face full of disbelief. "This is Season 12, not Season 3 or Season 5. To blindly pick Riven on the first floor, that's too confident, isn't it? Is he completely unafraid of being countered?"

Remember also took a deep breath, his voice excited: "This isn't just confidence, it's practically a declaration! EDG is telling RNG, telling everyone, that they don't care what you pick, because they *are* the meta!"

“That’s really too arrogant.” Rita looked at the valiant female warrior avatar on the screen, her eyes sparkling and a smile playing on her lips. “But that’s just Mo Zi’s style. If he were to timidly choose a tanky laner, he wouldn’t be Su Mo.”

The audience erupted in cheers, and the live stream chat was flooded with comments like snowflakes.

Holy crap! This is a once-in-a-lifetime event! I'm watching Riven in the match!

"That's outrageous! Locking up Riven on the first floor, it's practically like pointing a finger at Bin and saying 'I'm going to beat you up!'"

"This is the real Mozi! This is the man who treats the LPL top lane like his own backyard!"

"Is this the charm of a top player? Even if he retires, I'll still be a fan for life!"

"RNG has really lost face. Aren't they going to do anything about this?"

BP is still going on.

RNG clearly didn't expect Su Mo to act so unpredictably.

After the second round of draft picks, RNG reached their most crucial final pick – the top laner position (counter pick).

All eyes were focused on the big screen.

What will Bin pick against Riven? Fiora? Camille? Or a more stable Gragas?

Without any hesitation, the avatar of RNG's fifth player lit up instantly and was locked on.

Weapon Master - Jax!

"Oh!!! Jax!" Guan Zeyuan slammed his hand on the table. "The most classic duel! Riven vs. Jax! This is absolutely a battle of the highest mechanics in League of Legends top lane! RNG is ready! Bin isn't backing down at all. If you want to compete in mechanics, I'll go all out with my best Jax!"

Remember to exclaim, "This match was definitely worth the ticket price! Su Mo's Riven versus Bin's Jax, it's like a clash of titans! I can't wait to see their top lane battle!"

The final lineup has been confirmed.

Blue side EDG: Top lane Riven, Jungler Foygo, Mid lane Ahri, Bot lane Zeli, Support Lulu.

RNG (Red Team): Top lane Jax, Jungle Lee Sin, Mid lane Galio, Bot lane Kai'Sa, Support Nautilus.

With this lineup, anyone in the know understands that this is a pure free-for-all. Neither side has chosen a pure tank frontline; it's all about skill, reaction time, and close-quarters combat in team fights!

The camera focused on RNG's playing area.

Bin adjusted his headphones, a glint of fighting spirit flashing in his eyes as he looked at Riven's icon on the loading screen. (End of Chapter)