LOL: What does it mean to torture players?

He didn't reveal those private matters about "companionship," but everyone present smiled knowingly. In this circle, who didn't know what an enviable haven Mo, the seven-time champion, lived in his grand apartment on the banks of the Huangpu River?

"Okay, then you should get some rest. Don't stare at the computer all day reviewing the games, go out for a walk more often." Mingkai patted him on the shoulder, then dismissed the group.

Noon.

The black SUV smoothly drove into the underground parking garage of the river-view apartment building.

Pushing open the door, the house was not as lively as usual.

Luo Xin and Xiao Yu took advantage of their free time these past few days to go on a trip to Sanya. Rita was pulled away by CCTV last night to record a special episode of an e-sports variety show, which will probably take two days straight.

At this moment, only Yu Shuang and hope Ran, who had just finished an interview and rushed back overnight, were in the apartment.

The air was filled with the faint scent of lilies and the aroma of stewed pork ribs wafting from the kitchen.

Su Mo changed into slippers and took off her coat, hanging it in the entryway.

"You're back?" Yu Shuang, wearing a light blue apron, walked out of the open kitchen. She wasn't wearing heavy makeup today; her hair was casually pulled back, with a few stray strands falling on either side of her face, exuding a very gentle and domestic mature charm.

She walked up naturally, took the peripheral bag from Su Mo's hand, and gently kissed his chin: "Are you hungry? We'll eat soon."

"I'm alright." Su Mo's voice was gentle and deep. He reached out and put his arm around her slender waist, returning the kiss on her forehead. "Where's Xiran?"

“She’s catching up on sleep inside. After the finals interviews last night, she stayed up all night writing the event summary and didn’t fall asleep until 3 a.m..” Yu lowered her voice, her eyes full of tenderness. “I just went to check on her, and she was sleeping so soundly that even her Peppa Pig pillow fell to the floor.”

Su Mo frowned slightly, a barely perceptible hint of heartache flashing in his eyes. He released Yu Shuang and walked slowly into the guest room where hope Ran was.

The blackout curtains in the room were drawn tightly shut, leaving only a dim floor lamp on.

hope Ran curled up on the large bed, covered with a thin silk quilt, half of her fair face buried in the pillow, her breathing even and long. Her face, which was always radiant in front of the camera, now revealed a hint of unconcealed fatigue.

Su Mo walked to the bedside and gently picked up the cushion that had fallen on the carpet. He didn't wake her, but instead leaned down slightly and reached out his large, bony hand, which he used to hold a mouse for years, to gently tuck the stray hairs that had fallen across her cheek behind her ear.

The rough fingertips, warm to the touch, brushed against hope Ran's delicate skin unintentionally.

Seemingly sensing that familiar, comforting aura, hope Ran let out a soft whimper in her sleep, like a lazy kitten, and nuzzled Su Mo's palm with her cheek, murmuring, "Brother Mo...you won..."

Su Mo's lips unconsciously curved into a very gentle smile.

In the cruel world of esports, he is as cold and ruthless as a god on the field, but in front of these girls, he is always the most steadfast and all-encompassing haven.

He didn't pull his hand away, letting Xiran hold his two fingers. He sat quietly by the bed for five minutes until he was sure she had fallen asleep again, then he quietly left the room.

Back at the restaurant, Yu had already served four dishes and a soup.

Braised pork ribs, stir-fried seasonal vegetables, steamed scallops with garlic and vermicelli, and a pot of steaming hot yam and pigeon soup.

“She’s too tired, let her sleep until she wakes up naturally. Let’s eat first, I left some food for her in the pot.” Yu Shuang gently ladled a bowl of soup for Su Mo, carefully skimming off the oil on top.

The two sat facing each other, without the rigidity of not speaking while eating or sleeping, creating an exceptionally warm atmosphere.

"Has the leave for the base been approved?" Yu asked softly while eating vegetables.

“Five days. Then half a month of closed training, then flying to London.” Su Mo took a sip of soup, the sweetness of the yam and the freshness of the pigeon spreading in his mouth. He raised his head, his deep eyes looking at the sensible woman in front of him, who was so understanding it was heartbreaking. “I’m not going anywhere for these five days.”

Yu Shuang paused slightly as she picked up some food, and a touching ripple instantly appeared in her eyes, which were as clear as autumn water.

She knew that this man was not good with words, and that "I'm not going anywhere" was the most romantic thing he could say.

“Okay.” Yu Shuang lowered her head, unable to suppress the smile on her lips. “I just happened to have some time off these few days. Will you come with me to the supermarket this afternoon? We need to buy some household supplies.”

"Hmm." Su Mo responded calmly, put down his chopsticks, and naturally picked up the fattest piece of pork rib and put it into Yu Shuang's bowl. "Eat more meat, you've lost weight recently."

3 PM.

hope Ran finally woke up from her long sleep. She rubbed her sleepy eyes and walked out of the room, smelling the aroma of food coming from the kitchen.

"Awake, you sleepyhead?" Yu Shuang was sitting on the sofa reading a book. When she saw her come out, she smiled and put down her book. "Go wash up quickly. There's some food left for you in the microwave. Su Mo is watching LCK match recordings in the study."

hope Ran's eyes lit up, and her previous fatigue vanished instantly. She quickly washed up, ate a few mouthfuls of food hastily, and then slipped into the study like a little tail.

In the study, Su Mo, dressed in his gray loungewear and wearing blue light blocking glasses, sat in a large gaming chair, a thermos in his left hand and the mouse moving slowly with his right. The large curved screen was playing a replay of the LCK Spring Split Finals, T1 vs. GEN.G.

Hearing the door open, Su Mo didn't turn around, but simply said, "Did you sleep well?"

"Mmm!" hope Ran obediently walked over, not disturbing him watching the game, but naturally walked behind him, stretched out her fair and slender hands, gently placed them on his shoulders, and skillfully massaged his stiff muscles.

"Are you studying your MSI opponents? T1's Zeus is in terrifying form this season. I saw his Jayce and Yone picks in the finals, and they were incredibly dominant," hope Ran said softly while massaging him.

Feeling the gentle pressure on his shoulder, Su Mo leaned back in his chair, relaxing slightly. He pressed the spacebar, freezing the image on the moment Zeus solo-killed the opponent.

"His mechanics are indeed refined, and his understanding of minion waves has improved considerably." Su Mo took off his glasses, rubbed his temples, and spoke with a calm tone that carried a hint of objective evaluation from a senior player. "However, he relies too much on the jungler's counter-ganks. If vision control is completely suppressed, his aggression will become a fatal weakness."

"No matter who it is, once we're on the road, we all have to clock in and work according to Brother Mo's rules." Xi Ran chuckled, leaning back on the wide chair, resting her chin on Su Mo's head, the fragrance of her hair lingering in his nostrils.

Su Mo did not reject the intimacy; he patted hope Ran's hand on his shoulder.

"Go change your clothes. My widow said she's going to the supermarket, let's go together."

As evening falls, the streetlights of Shanghai come on.

A low-profile black SUV was parked in the basement of a high-end membership supermarket.

Su Mo pushed the shopping cart, walking between two stunningly beautiful women with different styles, both wearing masks and baseball caps.

Even though this configuration covered most of his face, it still attracted a lot of attention from passersby.

Yu Shuang carefully selected ribs and beef in the fresh food section. She picked up a piece of Wagyu beef with excellent marbling and turned to ask Su Mo, "How about I pan-fry a steak for you tonight? And have some red wine with it."

"I'll listen to you." Su Mo held the shopping cart with one hand, looking at her gently.

Xi Ran, like a child who never grew up, went on a shopping spree in the snack section, throwing all sorts of potato chips, yogurt, and chocolate into her car. "Brother Mo, I want to eat this matcha-flavored ice cream!" hope Ran held up a box of ice cream and looked at Su Mo pitifully.

Su Mo glanced at the ice cream, then looked at hope Ran.

"Your period is almost here. Put it down." His tone was calm, yet it exuded an irresistible air of authority and meticulousness.

hope Ran blushed slightly, surprised that he remembered such a day so clearly. Feeling sweet inside, she could only obediently put the ice cream back.

After shopping, I returned to my apartment at 8 p.m.

As soon as I opened the door, I heard a burst of cheerful laughter and the sound of a television program coming from the living room.

"Rita? Aren't you recording a show?" hope Ran looked at Rita, who was sprawled on the sofa with a black face mask on, in surprise.

Rita was clearly exhausted today; she applied an emergency face mask without even removing her makeup. She waved her hand lazily: "Don't even mention it. That lousy show director is such a pain in the ass. We filmed for over ten hours straight, so I just went on strike and came back. If I hadn't come back to recharge, I would have died of overwork."

As she spoke, she saw Su Mo walking in carrying large and small bags through the gap in her face mask. She immediately sat up like a fox that had smelled meat, and straddled the back of the sofa with her long legs.

"Brother Mo~~ I'm so tired, I feel completely drained." Rita leaned in without any regard for her image, wanting to hang on Su Mo's neck.

Su Mo nimbly turned to the side, avoiding the wet face mask on her face, and casually stuffed the two shopping bags in her hands into her arms.

"Since you still have the energy to act cute, take your things to the kitchen." Su Mo's voice was cold but with a hint of indulgence. "After you put on the face mask, take a shower. You smell like the studio."

Rita, despite being stuffed with food, wasn't angry. Instead, she laughed heartily, "Alright, Boss Su has spoken, how could I dare disobey? But tonight's overtime pay will be double, you know."

Yu Shuang and Xi Ran exchanged a glance, then shook their heads with helpless smiles. In this family, Rita was always the one who livened up the atmosphere the most and dared to openly "tease" Su Mo, bringing him joy.

Half an hour later, a sumptuous dinner was served.

The Wagyu beef was pan-fried until crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, the borscht was fragrant, and there was a refreshing vegetable salad to cleanse the palate.

Four young people, having let down their guard and basked in the glow of their newfound status, sat around the dining table in this room.

There's no backstabbing or infighting in the world of fame and fortune, and no tense atmosphere on the field.

Rita opened a bottle of expensive red wine and poured half a glass for everyone.

"Come on, let's toast to our great seven-time champion, who has won another championship trophy! And may Mo Ge crush all those LCK bastards at the upcoming MSI!" Rita raised her glass and said with great pride.

"Toast to Brother Mo!" Yu Shuang and hope Ran also raised their glasses with smiles.

Su Mo picked up his wine glass, his deep eyes particularly captivating in the dim light. He looked at the three smiling women before him, a gentle smile playing on his lips.

"cheers."

The crisp sound of glass clashing echoed through the spacious restaurant.

After dinner, Yu Shuang and hope Ran were responsible for cleaning up the dishes.

Su Mo took a shower, changed into a black silk nightgown, and sat down on the single sofa in front of the French windows.

Outside the window, the night view of the Huangpu River was deep and enchanting, with the faint sound of cruise ship horns drifting in.

Su Mo habitually picked up her phone and glanced at WeChat.

There was an unread message from Lin Xuan, who was far away in Hengdian.

Lin Xuan: [Teacher Su, tonight's night shoot was canceled due to rain. I had my assistant buy a few bottles of beer, and I'm watching your finals recording alone in the RV. I've watched that Yone quadra kill over a dozen times; it was so cool.]

Immediately afterwards, she sent another photo.

In the photo, Lin Xuan is wearing a loose white T-shirt and no makeup, holding a can of beer. The background is a tablet computer in an RV playing an EDG match. Her eyes, which always appear cool and aloof under high-definition lenses, now carry a faint trace of loneliness and longing.

Su Mo looked at the screen, his slender fingers lightly tapping the keyboard, replying crisply and efficiently.

Su Mo: [If you have a sensitive stomach, drink less ice-cold beer.]

Su Mo: [There are still five days of vacation left. If the crew can spare half a day, I'll come to Hengdian to see you. If not, just focus on filming, and after MSI ends, I'll bring the trophy back for you to see.]

Less than ten seconds after the message was sent, the recipient displayed "typing in progress".

Lin Xuan: [Really?! Don't lie! I'll talk to the director first thing tomorrow morning! Even if I don't have time off, I'll skip work to see you!]

Looking at the few words on the screen, filled with urgency and a touch of girlish coquettishness, Su Mo couldn't help but chuckle. He could imagine the usually aloof and powerful actress on set, now excitedly rolling around on the bed, clutching her phone.

"Chatting with a famous actress?"

A fragrant breeze wafted over.

Having just finished showering and wearing a black lace slip dress, Rita straddled Su Mo's lap quite naturally, like a boneless water snake.

Her hair was half-dry, and droplets of water slid down her fair collarbone and into the unfathomable cleavage. Her alluring peach blossom eyes, in the dim light, exuded a fatal temptation.

Su Mo didn't push her away; he simply locked his phone and placed it on the coffee table beside him. His large hand gripped her slender waist to prevent her from slipping down.

"Is it clean?" Su Mo's voice was deep and languid.

"You're all clean and fresh, and you even sprayed on your favorite perfume." Rita leaned down slightly, bringing her cheek close to Su Mo's ear, her warm breath brushing against his neck, her voice alluring and seductive, "Brother Mo... you promised to stay at the apartment for the five-day holiday. Tonight, shouldn't you settle the overtime pay you owe me?"

As she spoke, her restless fingertips lightly traced the collar of Su Mo's pajamas.

Just then, the bathroom door opened.

Yu Shuang came out wearing a wine-red silk robe. When she saw the scene on the sofa, she was not angry at all. Instead, she smiled gently, walked to the wine cabinet next to her, and poured two more glasses of red wine.

"Rita, when are you going to get rid of this habit of always trying to seize the initiative?" Yu Shuang walked over with a wine glass, handed one to Su Mo, and then sat on the armrest of the sofa. She naturally reached out to straighten Su Mo's collar, which had become a little messy because of Rita's actions.

hope Ran, dressed in adorable pink pajamas, peeked out of the guest room, her face flushed. Though a little shy, her bright eyes were filled with anticipation. (End of Chapter)